Walking Among Trails
by afitwilight
Summary: Grissom and his team get called to investigate the murder of two women. One happens to be the governor's daughter. N/S G/C pairings


Author's Note: This story is dedicated to my best friend Kasey. Without her, my life would truly be empty. Thank you Kasey for everything. I would also like to take this time to thank everyone who has ever read my stories and reviewed. You've made me feel important and special. As always the characters of CSI don't belong to me, if they did, well let's just say it's a good thing they don't! Hehe. Now on with the story!!  
  
~*~  
  
North Carolina is usually warm during the spring. Today was no exception. The temperature was forecasted to reach around eighty degrees. Two teenage boys stepped out of their log house and began walking down their drive. Living on the end of a dead end road had many perks. One was being able to walk in the middle out the road without worrying about being hit by a car. The other perk to living where they did was that woods surrounded their entire road. They walked quietly up to their neighbor's house. A young woman stood outside to greet them. "Hey Travis, hey Drake." She said.  
  
Travis smiled at her. "Hey Melissa. How's it going?"  
  
"Fine."  
  
Drake looked around. "Where's Kasey?" That was their cousin.  
  
"She's on her way." As soon as the last word left her mouth, a car came around the curve and pulled into the grass in front of Melissa's house. Kasey stepped out of the car and shut the door. She walked over to where the others were standing. "Sorry I'm late. I got behind a really slow car."  
  
"You should've passed them." Travis commented.  
  
Kasey shrugged. "So, are we going walking?"  
  
"Yep."   
  
The four friends walked along the road until they reached the orange gate off the side of the road. Normally they would climb over the gate, but they decided to walk around it to conserve the energy they needed for their hike along the trails. Travis was ahead of the others. He looked over to see how far behind the others were and turned around and smacked right into a spider web. "Shit!" He yelled and began pulling the webs out of his dark blonde hair. The others laughed.  
  
Drake stepped up next to Travis. He pointed to Travis's head. "You missed some."  
  
Travis reached up and felt around for the web. He found it and flung it on Drake. "I think it looks better on you anyway."  
  
"Can you tell their brothers?" Melissa asked Kasey.  
  
"I think so." She and Melissa laughed. They continued walking along the path. The path they were on made its way to the river. They have walked along these trails for several years. Travis and Drake moved down when Travis was two. Drake was just a baby. They played in these woods all the time. Each one of them knew the woods better than anyone else could possibly know.   
  
Drake walked ahead of all them. A snapping sound got his attention. He froze. He looked at the others. "Did you hear that?"  
  
Travis looked over at his cousin. Kasey nodded. They both had heard the same noise. "I think it came from over there." She replied pointing off towards the woods on the right side. Travis, who might be considered the Fred figure, if they were a mystery gang, looked at all them. "Let's check it out."  
  
They all started walking toward the direction in which the noise had come from. Walking quietly off the trail, they made their way slowly through the trees. Travis was ahead with Kasey right behind him. After a few minutes of walking, they stopped. "I don't hear anything else." Drake commented.   
  
"Wait, I hear something." This came from Kasey. They all heard the sound of a speedboat speeding down the river, that wasn't too far ahead. "That snap must have just been an animal or something." Melissa replied.  
  
The four started to head back toward the trail, when a flash of color got Travis's attention. "What's that?"  
  
No one answered him. They began to make their way toward the bright orange object that was shinning through the brown and green forest. Drake was the first to spot it. "OH SHIT!" He yelled. They would have laughed at that if it weren't for what they saw before them. Two women were hanging from two trees. Blood poured down from their slashed bodies making a small blood puddle in the grass. The four stood shocked for a few seconds. The images were permanently being scarred in their minds. Before anyone could speak, they took off out of the woods and ran back to the trail and back toward Melissa's house. None of them stopping for a second, they ran as if their very lives depended on it.  
  
Gil Grissom walked in the Las Vegas Crime Lab and made his way toward the break room to steal some of Greg's coffee before the young tech got there. He stepped inside the break room only to find that Greg was already there. The younger man looked up and smiled. "Beat you this time."  
  
Grissom nodded. "This is a first. Why are you here so early?"  
  
Greg leaned back on the chair he was sitting in. "I got bored at home and decided to come on in."  
  
Grissom didn't know whether to believe him or not. He made his way over to the coffee pot. He could smell Greg's coffee coming from the pot. He poured himself a cup and returned the pot back to the machine. He decided to head toward his office. He gave Greg one last glance. "Thanks for sharing your coffee Greg."  
  
"No problem." He responded and watched as the older man stepped out of the room.   
  
Grissom walked in his office and sat down at his desk. He took another sip of his coffee and set his cup down on the table. Catherine walked in. "Hey."   
  
He looked up and grinned. "Hey."  
  
She came over and sat down on the edge of his desk. "You know, I woke up to an empty bed this evening." She and Grissom had been dating a while now and they had spent the afternoon and early evening together.  
  
He gave her his best apologetic smile. "I'm sorry Cath, but I had some things to take care of. Forgive me?" He tried to make a sad puppy look. Catherine just laughed. She leaned down and kissed him. The kiss didn't last long, and it left Grissom wanting more. Unfortunately, Brass chose that moment to step in his office. Brass either didn't notice the disappointed look on his face or pretended to ignore it. "Good, you're here."  
  
Grissom forced himself to go to work mode. "What have you got for me tonight Brass?"  
  
"Oh, you're gonna love this one. I just got off the phone from the North Carolina CSI department. It seems they have a case they need solved."  
  
"What does that have to do with us?" Catherine asked.  
  
"There's been a murder and the governor wants the best CSI team there." Brass answered.  
  
"What about the North Carolina's CSI team? I'm sure they could handle it." Grissom commented.   
  
"I'm sure they could, but the governor doesn't want them near the scene. You see it's personal for the governor. His daughter was on of the victims."  
  
Realization dawned on Grissom. "Well we have the second best crime lab in the country."  
  
"That's why you are all going."  
  
"All of us? What about the crimes here? Who's going to take care of them?" Catherine wondered and voiced her questions aloud.  
  
Brass smiled. "Yes, all of you are going. The day shift is splitting up and taking over the night shift for a while."  
  
"Great, we won't have a lab when we get back." She muttered.   
  
"When did this murder happen?"  
  
"Earlier today, so I suggest you get your team together and get on the first plane out." Brass replied and turned around to leave. He stopped and glanced at them. "Have fun."  
  
Grissom looked at Catherine. "Guess we're going to North Carolina."  
  
"Guess we're all going. My sister is out of town. I have no one to watch Lindsey. She'll have to come with us." Catherine began talking to herself about how Lindsey will miss school and walked out of the office. Grissom just shook his head and called his team together.   
  
An hour later, they were all at the airport. Because of the tight airport security, they each had to have all their equipment checked and re-checked. They were sitting in the waiting area preparing for their departure. Warrick was sitting in one of the chairs. "You think if they wanted us so bad, they would have got us a private plane."  
  
Nick laughed. "No kidding, we're going to lose evidence." He was seated in a chair across Warrick.  
  
Grissom smiled. "We do have a private plane. This is the only place that it could land. They should be here soon."  
  
Warrick grinned and watched as Catherine walked up to Grissom with Lindsey right beside her. "Okay, bathroom breaks are done."  
  
Lindsey ran over and sat down beside Warrick. "I've never gone with you guys on a crime scene, do you think I could help you collect evidence?"  
  
Warrick smiled. "Sorry Linds, I don't think that they will let you." He saw a frown appear on her face. "Don't worry though, I'm sure we can find something to do with you while we're there."  
  
Lindsey looked over at her mom. "Can we go to the mall?"  
  
Catherine smiled. "Yeah, she's my daughter all right."  
  
The others laughed. Sara and Greg walked up to them. They had gone to a snack machine. Greg was snacking on a candy bar and Sara had a bottle of water. She walked over and sat down beside Nick. He reached over and held her hand. Lindsey smiled at Sara. "When are you guys getting married?"  
  
Nick looked over at Sara and then at Lindsey. "We're not sure yet."  
  
Lindsey got up and walked over to Sara. "Can I see your ring again?"  
  
"Sure." Sara held out her left hand and let Lindsey look at it for the millionth time since Sara had it.   
  
"When I get married, I want a ring like this one. Maybe bigger."  
  
Warrick laughed and glanced over at Catherine. "Yep, she's yours all right."  
  
Catherine smiled. "You know, I can't wait until Sara has a baby, that way you can pick on her about her kids."  
  
Grissom grabbed Catherine's hand and squeezed it. "Don't worry honey, I'm sure you can pick on Warrick one day too."  
  
Before anyone else could comment, a voice came over the intercom and announced that their plane was ready for departure. The seven of them got their carry on bags and boarded the plane. Once they got settled the plane took off and headed toward North Carolina.  
  
Hours later, they arrived in North Carolina. Soon they were standing on the road that led toward the trails and the crime scene. Travis, Drake, Kasey, and Melissa were already standing at the orange gate waiting for them. After all the introductions were done, Grissom looked at Melissa. He read in the report that she was twenty-seven, but she looked around twenty. Her brown hair was tucked behind her ears. "Can you tell us where it happened?" He asked her.  
  
"Actually, I think it would be better if we showed you."  
  
Grissom looked as if he was about to object, but Kasey nodded. "We know these woods like the back of our hand. You could get lost if you don't know where you're going."  
  
"You can get lost even if you do know where you're going." Travis put in.  
  
"I'm not sure if that's such a good idea." Grissom said.  
  
"No offense Mr. Grissom." Melissa replied. "But I don't think you would find it on your own. Even if we did give you directions, all the woods look the same."  
  
Catherine smiled at her. "Led the way."  
  
Travis looked over at his family and nodded. They began to make their way back toward the crime scene. The CSIs, minus Greg and Lindsey, followed right behind them. Around ten minutes later they reached the woods leading toward the bodies of the women. Nick looked around the woods and noticed that some of the trees had bright orange looking stripes across them. "What's with the stripes on the trees?"  
  
"Duke Power Company owns the land and they are wanting to do some clear cutting. They are marking the trees they want to come down." Melissa answered him.   
  
"That's a shame, these woods are awesome." Warrick stated. They walked up to the crime scene. There before them were the bodies of the two women. Grissom turned to look at the four friends. "If you don't mind, we need to start processing the scene."  
  
"You sure you can make it back?" Drake asked.  
  
"Just follow the woods back to the trail and turn left. Right?" Warrick said.  
  
Travis nodded. He turned around and began walking back toward the trail. "If you need anything let us know." He called out.  
  
"We will." Grissom said. He then looked at his team. "Nick, start taking pictures. Sara, you and Warrick begin searching the surrounding area for a weapon or drag marks. Anything to suggest how they got here."  
  
Catherine watched as the three got to work. She glanced over at Grissom. "What do you want me to do?"  
  
"Go with me back to the main trail. I want to check to see if any evidence was carried there."  
  
  
  
Nick had his camera and took pictures of the first victim. She had on an orange tank top and shorts. Her body was cut in several places. Each wound was long and the cut was deep. He could see where the victim had tried to claw at the rope around her neck. There were fingernail marks embedded into the skin. "Man, she was still alive when she was hung." He went to the next body. The woman's body was slashed the same way as the other. She had on a tank top and a skirt. He looked to see if she had also tried to take the rope off her neck. He didn't see any sign of struggle. He could only guess that she died before she was hung. He noticed that both women had sand on their legs. He had no clue where the sand came from. He glanced down at the ground only to find packed dirt.   
  
Warrick and Sara were on opposite ends of the trees that the vics were on. Warrick walked carefully around trying to find footprints or clothing materials. Anything to help them identify the murderer. So far he came up empty. He called over to Sara. "Find anything yet?"  
  
"Not yet."   
  
After an hour of searching, they found nothing. They decided to see if Grissom and Catherine found something. The three made their way back to the main trail and walked up to Grissom. "We didn't find a thing." Warrick told him.  
  
"Neither did we." Grissom replied. He looked at Nick. "Tell me about the bodies."  
  
Nick explained about the cuts and the girl's neck. He also told him about the sand on their legs.  
  
"Where would they get sand from?" Catherine asked.  
  
"I don't know, but I bet I know who would." Grissom began walking back toward the beginning of the trail. The others followed right behind him. They walked back to Melissa's house to find that the four were on her porch.   
  
Travis was the first to speak. "The coroner called wanting to know when they could come and collect the bodies."  
  
"They can get them now." Grissom replied. He then gave them a questioning look. "By any chance do you know where there might be sand around here?"  
  
"Sure, if you follow the trail all the way to the end you reach the river. There is sand everywhere around there." Kasey answered him.  
  
"Thank you." Grissom turned to his team. "Okay, we'll go back and check the river."  
  
"Wait, there are two different ways to the river." Drake told him.  
  
"Yeah, and they don't come out at the same place either. So you can't get from one to the other unless you swim across." Travis said and gave Melissa a look that said that they've done that before.  
  
"Do you need us to show you the way?" Melissa asked. She was hoping they would say yes. She glanced over at Nick and smiled. 'He's cute.' She thought to herself.   
  
Nick smiled back. He had no clue about what the younger girl was thinking. Grissom realized that it would probably be in their best interest to get the four to show them the way. "Alright." Grissom said. "We'll split up into teams. Catherine and I will take Melissa and Drake. Nick, Warrick, and Sara will go with Travis and Kasey."  
  
They all began to make their way back toward the trail, when Grissom stopped them. "I want to make one thing clear. Once we get to the trail, the four of you will come back here."  
  
"No problem." Travis said. "I have to go to work later anyway."  
  
Looking down at his watch, Grissom realized it was ten a.m. It was earlier than that in Vegas. They walked along the trail until it split off into two different directions. Grissom chose the left path, causing Nick and the others to go right.   
  
Nick walked along the trail and noticed that it curved around the left. As soon as he came to the curve, he could see the river directly ahead. He and the others walked toward it. He glanced around and noticed a tent to his left. He looked at Travis. "Do people camp here?"  
  
"Sometimes." Travis walked up beside him and pointed to the trash on the ground. "That stuff's been there forever."  
  
Nick nodded and walked over to the sandy bank that dropped down into the river. If he wasn't here to work a crime scene, he would sit and just stare out at the water. Sara walked over to him and placed her hand on his shoulder. "It's so peaceful here."   
  
He put his arm around her waist. "Yeah, it is. Too bad we're on duty."  
  
She smiled. "Why's that?"  
  
"Cause I would take you on a boat ride."  
  
Sara looked back at the water and watched the waves come crashing into the bank. "Do you think that's how they got here?"  
  
"It's possible. No one would have spotted them."   
  
"Hey love birds, we're here to work you know." Warrick called to them. Nick and Sara reluctantly pulled away from each other. They noticed that Travis and Kasey were already gone. "Grissom told them they had to go back remember?" Warrick said as if reading their minds.  
  
They split off the area in three sections. Sara took the left, Nick had the middle, and Warrick took the right. They began to try and find clues that would lead them to who murdered the women.   
  
Grissom and Catherine were amazed at how big the river actually was. "This isn't a river, this is a lake." Grissom said.  
  
"Yeah, we just call it a river." Drake told him.  
  
Catherine just smiled. She looked at her surroundings. The bank was huge. It seemed they were stranded on an island in the middle of nowhere. She wanted to go back and get Lindsey and then just sit in the sun and relax. Of course she knew that wasn't a reality. She had work to do. She watched as Melissa and Drake made their way back toward the trail and head back home. She turned her attention back to Grissom. He was already at the bank's edge. He noticed drag marks along the sand. He pulled out his camera and began taking pictures. "What did you find?" Catherine asked him as she walked toward him.  
  
"A boat was here and from the way the marks are along the sand, I think it was here recently."  
  
Catherine only nodded and walked along the line. She tried to look for evidence, but her eyes kept finding their way back to the water. She watched as the waves crashed into the shore. "I want to go to the beach." She said more to herself than Grissom.  
  
He looked at her. "Well we have some vacation time."  
  
"I would just love to pack up some clothes and take Lindsey and." She stopped and looked at him. "Did you just say we?"  
  
"Yes, I did. I think that a trip to the beach would be an excellent idea."  
  
She smiled. "You're serious? You would want to go?"  
  
Grissom walked over to her and put his hands on her waist. "I'm very serious." He leaned in and kissed her. She could feel every emotion he was feeling as his lips pressed against hers. She pulled away first. "Maybe we should get back to work."  
  
Grissom pulled himself together. He took his arms off her waist and began looking along the shore. Catherine walked a few feet ahead of him. "I'm thinking we won't find anything near the water. Maybe we should check on the bank."   
  
She and Grissom walked back up the bank and split up. Soon Catherine called out. "Hey Griss, you'd better come over here."  
  
He made his way to her and looked down at where she was pointing. There was blood on the sand making the brown color look like red mud. He bent down and took a swab out of his kit. He rubbed the swab along the blood and placed it back in his kit. He looked around for other patches of blood. He didn't find any. "That's odd." He said aloud.  
  
"You think it's from one of our vics?"   
  
"If it is, then that would mean that they were attacked in the woods." He really had no clue as to what happened. He let his mind try and play a scene out before him:  
  
The two women and a man were riding in the boat along the river. The man pointed toward the bank. "Let's go see what's over there." He suggested. The man turned the boat toward the bank. Once it was near shore, he got and dragged the boat on the surface. "Wow, this place is amazing." One of the women said. The man took out a knife and threatened the women to do as he said. They became nervous and began to look for an escape. Knowing that they were planning to make a break for it, he grabbed one of them and held the knife to her neck. "You will do exactly what I tell you." He told them and pressed the knife into the woman's neck and breaking the skin. They nodded and he pulled the knife out of the victim. Blood drops feel from the knife and hit the sand below. He brought them through the woods and began to brutally slash them. He then took the rope he had hidden and tied it around their necks and then hung them to the tree. He escaped back through the woods and got back on the boat and sailed away.  
  
Grissom shook his head. 'There are too many holes to that theory.' He thought to himself. He looked over at Catherine; she was scouting around some more of the area. "See anything else?"  
  
"No, our suspect was clever." She looked over at him. "What do we do now?"  
  
"I guess we go back. By now the coroners have come and taken the body. We'll see what the autopsy says."  
  
Catherine took one last look at the water and then began walking with Grissom back to the main trail.   
  
Warrick, Nick, and Sara also heading back. They didn't find any evidence at all. Nick was holding his field kit in one hand and Sara's hand in the other. Warrick just shook his head. He was used to seeing this by now. He couldn't blame them, if his girlfriend was here, he would be doing the same thing. "You know I think I could live around here." Nick told them.   
  
"Why's that?" Warrick asked glancing over at Nick.  
  
"It's so peaceful and quiet."  
  
"That's true. But you would miss us."   
  
Nick laughed. "I guess."  
  
Warrick gave him a hurt look and placed his hand over his heart. "You know you couldn't survive without me."  
  
Sara just laughed. She was used to their banter. They walked out of the trail and were now on the road that led to Melissa's house. They were walking in the middle of the road, when they heard a car coming. Actually, they heard the music before they heard the car. They walked over to the right side of the road and watched as a car came around the curve. Greg was in the driver's seat with Lindsey in the passenger side. Greg stopped the car beside them. He rolled down Lindsey's window. "Hey guys, I was looking for you."  
  
"Hey Greg, what's going on?" Nick asked.  
  
"I got a call from the governor. He was wondering what was taking so long."  
  
"It's a hard case. We were waiting for Grissom and Catherine."  
  
"Where's my mommy?" Lindsey wondered. She looked over at Warrick.   
  
Warrick gave her a smile. "She's with Grissom. They will be back soon."  
  
Greg motioned toward the back seat. "Get in and tell me where we need to go."  
  
Nick opened the door and Sara hopped in and slid over to the far left. Nick got in behind her, then Warrick. "Just go around the curve and stop at the first house." Warrick told him. Greg did as he was told. He pulled in the grass in front of a gray looking house. All five got out of the car and were greeted by Melissa and Kasey. Travis had left earlier to go to work. Drake just went home. Greg took a look at Kasey and smiled. "Hey." He told her.  
  
"Hey." She said smiling at the younger guy. She smiled at the little girl that was with them. "Hey there."  
  
Lindsey smiled back. "Hi, I'm Lindsey and this is Greg."  
  
Kasey introduced herself and Melissa. She then looked over at the other three. "Did you guys find anything?"  
  
"Nope. I just hope that Grissom and Catherine find something." Warrick answered her.   
  
Melissa looked at them. "Do you guys want to come in? I'm sure your thirsty. I could get you something to drink."  
  
Nick nodded. "That would be great." They all walked into the house and sat down in the living room. The living room had a couch, a love sofa and a recliner. Nick, Sara, Warrick took the couch. Greg and Lindsey sat down on the love sofa. The television was on MTV 2. Greg watched as the new Sum 41 video came on. "I love this video!" He said and grabbed the remote before anyone could turn it.  
  
Kasey and Melissa came in from the living room with drinks. Kasey handed Greg a glass. He took it from her and gave her his cutest grin. "Thanks Kase." She wanted to say something but she couldn't get the words out, so she handed Lindsey her drink. Lindsey thanked her. Melissa had already given the others their drinks. Kasey was heading toward the recliner to sit down, but Greg called over to her. "You could sit with me and Lindsey." He and Lindsey moved over to make room for her. Kasey sat down beside Greg and they all began watching the video. "You know what my favorite part in this video is?" Greg said to no one in particular.   
  
"Which one?" Kasey asked.  
  
"The part where they have the Marilyn Manson doll dancing with Jesus. I think that is so funny."  
  
"You would." Warrick told him. The others just laughed. As soon as the Sum 41 video went off. The new Marilyn Manson video came on. "I love this song!" Greg shouted. Nick, Sara, and Warrick looked like they were ready to fight him over the remote control.   
  
"Turn it Greg. Catherine will take a fit if she finds out you let Lindsey watch Manson." Sara told him.   
  
"It's okay Sara, my mommy won't mind." Lindsey told her. Her eyes were glued to the screen and the video that played before her.   
  
No one noticed that Catherine and Grissom had walked in. "Greg, turn the t.v. off." Catherine said.  
  
Greg looked up at her. He quickly changed the channel and then cut off the t.v. "Hi Cat. How's it going?" He said trying to keep her from fussing at him.  
  
Grissom looked at Greg. "What are you doing here?"  
  
"The governor called while you were out. He didn't sound pleased. He wanted to know why it was taking so long."  
  
Grissom looked over at the couch. "Did you guys find anything?"  
  
"No, nothing." Nick told him. "I don't think the suspect went that way."  
  
"We don't either." Catherine said. She told them about what that had found. Grissom looked at Greg. "I need you to run the blood sample and see if we get a match to one of our victims."  
  
"No problem." Greg got up of the sofa and took his glass back to the kitchen. He came back out and headed toward the front door.   
  
"What are we going to do?" Warrick replied.  
  
"We need to go the morgue and see what the doctor says. We also need to talk to the governor." Grissom tried to decide how he wanted to split his team up. He really didn't want to talk to the governor. He wasn't good at that sort of thing, but he was pretty sure he should be the one to do it. "Alright, Catherine, Warrick and Sara will go to the morgue. Nick and I will go talk to the governor."  
  
They all headed out and got into their cars. "Wait, what about Lindsey?" Catherine asked. Greg had already left.   
  
"We could watch her if you want us to." Melissa suggested. Kasey nodded her head. "Yeah, we don't mind."  
  
Catherine looked over at Lindsey. "What do you think sweetie?"  
  
"I think that would be fun. Besides I want to go hiking through some of these trails." Lindsey walked back to the other girls. She stood in the middle of them.  
  
"We'll take good care of her Catherine, I promise." Melissa told her.  
  
"Okay." Catherine looked at Lindsey. "Be good. I don't want you driving them crazy, and stay out of the woods."  
  
"Okay. Love you mommy. Have fun!"   
  
Catherine told her bye and got in the car with Warrick and Sara. The three girls watched as both cars left and headed away from the house.   
  
Grissom and Nick arrived at the governor's office and waited patiently for him to come out of a meeting. Grissom's stomach chose that moment to growl. It had been a while since he ate last. He decided that as soon as they were done here, he and Nick would go and grab some food somewhere. "Mr. Grissom, Mr. Stokes." The secretary called from her desk. "Governor Hodges will see you know."  
  
Grissom and Nick thanked her and walked into another office. Before them was a hefty size man. He wore a three-piece suit and the buttons looked like they were threatening to pop out. Mr. Hodges stood up and shook their hands. "Mr. Grissom, Mr. Stokes, thank you for coming down." He pointed to the chairs in front of his desk. "Why don't you have a seat?" Mr. Hodges went back and sat down in front of his desk. "Now, what can you tell me about who did this to my daughter?"  
  
Grissom spoke first. "Governor Hodges, I'm not going to lie to you. Right now, we don't have a whole lot of evidence to determine who did this to your daughter or her friend."  
  
"What do you have?"  
  
"As of right now, not much. We are waiting to hear what the autopsy says. Maybe we can pull something off the bodies that will help us."  
  
"So, basically you aren't doing anything?" The governor frowned. "Mr. Grissom, I was told that your crime lab was one of the best in the country. I hate to say it, but you don't seem to be the best of anything."  
  
Nick decided to take over for Grissom. "Sir, we've gathered what little evidence we can. We believe that the murderer escaped by using a boat from the river. Our suspect is smart. He didn't leave any traces of him for us to find."  
  
The governor took this all in. He then stared Grissom right in the eyes. "If you don't find out who did this to my daughter, I will personally see to it that you and your entire team will never work in a CSI lab again." He gave them one final look and stood up. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have work to do."  
  
Grissom and Nick both got up and walked out of the office. Neither spoke until they reached the Tahoe waiting for them. "Friendly guy." Nick commented sarcastically.  
  
"Let's just hope, our victims can tell us more."  
  
Catherine, Warrick, and Sara were standing in the morgue. The doctor was a younger woman. She had her red hair pulled into a tight bun. Both vics were laid out before her. She looked over at Catherine. "Okay, your first victim is the governor's daughter Jessica Hodges." The doctor stood beside Jessica and pointed to her neck. "She died of strangulation. She was still alive when the killer hung her. She has her own fingernail marks embedded into her skin."  
  
This was old news to the others. They had known that as soon as they saw the body. "What about the cuts along the body?" Catherine asked.  
  
"All the slashes are pretty deep. I think that a hunting knife could have done it."  
  
Warrick didn't seem impressed. He already missed Doc. Robbins. "I'm sure just about any type of knife could do it. Do you mind taking a mold of the cuts? Maybe we can match them to the exact type of knife?"  
  
The doctor smiled. "Sure, no problem. Anything else you want to know?"  
  
Sara looked at the victims. She glanced back at the doctor. "Were they raped?"  
  
The doctor looked at Sara. "I, um, I'm not sure."  
  
Catherine didn't like the sound of that. "What do you mean you're not sure?"  
  
"I didn't exactly look. I just went to work on the obvious. I didn't even think about checking for rape."  
  
Catherine looked over at Warrick. His eyes told her exactly what he thought about this doctor. "What about the other victim?" Catherine asked.  
  
The doctor took this as a way out. "The victim's name is Sherri Preston. She died of massive blood loss. The cuts on her body were deep as well."  
  
Catherine noticed the sand on the legs of both victims. "Do you mind if I collect a sample of the sand on their legs. I need to compare it to the sand we found near the river."  
  
"I don't mind." The doctor stood back as Catherine gathered the samples. Once she was done, she glanced at Warrick and Sara. "I don't think there's anything else we can do here."  
  
Sara disagreed. "She needs to check to see if they've been raped." She turned to look at the doctor. "Did you check under their nails? They may have scratched the suspect."  
  
The doctor glared at Sara. "Look, I don't know how you do things in Vegas, but here we do things differently. You want a rape test done, do it yourself."   
  
Warrick knew this was going to turn ugly if he didn't do something. He took Sara by the arm and walked her outside. She was about to protest but he placed his finger to her lips. "I can't take you anywhere." He joked with her trying to break some of the tension. He removed his finger and then became serious. "Look, we can't come down here and act like we own everything."  
  
"Warrick." She started but wasn't able to finish. "We're the outsiders here. We have to go by their rules. I know it sucks, but there's nothing we can do about it."  
  
Sara took a deep breath. "Fine."  
  
"Even if we do find evidence, we've got nothing to compare it to. We'll go back to the lab and work on the blade molds okay."  
  
She nodded. They were about to walk back in when Catherine came out. "Sara, you're staying here and working on the bodies. You also get to do the mold."  
  
"Is she," Sara said pointing toward the doors. "Going to be in there with me?"  
  
Catherine grinned. "No, I told her that you would be able to take care of everything."  
  
"Thanks Cath."  
  
"No problem. Call us when you're done, and one of us will come back and get you."  
  
"Okay." Sara told them bye and headed back inside the morgue.  
  
Warrick and Catherine made their way outside and to their car. "Are you sure that's wise to leave her here?" Warrick asked as he opened the driver's side door.  
  
"She had a point. If we could get something from the vics, that would help out."  
  
"I know, but right now we have nothing to go by."  
  
"Well, I've got the sand. We need to go back to the river and collect some there."  
  
Warrick smiled as put on his seat belt and started the car. "Wanna make a sand castle?"  
  
Catherine laughed. "Let's just hope the sand matches."   
  
Greg was in one of the labs the other techs provided for him. He had the blood samples from both victims and the sample that Grissom and Catherine collected along the bank. He missed his lab back home. The lab in North Carolina was smaller than his. He also missed being able to jam out to his music. Greg was waiting for the results of the blood samples. A few minutes later, the machine beeped at him. He watched as the results printed themselves on the copier paper. He took the paper and pulled out his cell phone. He dialed Grissom's number and waited for the other man to answer.  
  
"Grissom."  
  
"Hey Griss, it's Greg."  
  
"What can I do for you?"  
  
Greg knew a million different answers to that question. One was where's my raise you promised me? "I have the results from the blood sample."  
  
"And?" Grissom said waiting with little patience.  
  
"It matches Jessica Hodges."  
  
Greg could tell that Grissom was smiling on the other end. "Thanks Greg. Good job."  
  
The lab tech smiled and hung the phone up. Now he had nothing to do. He decided to go and see if there was anything good to eat.  
  
Grissom hung up the phone with Greg and turned to look at Nick. "That was Greg. The blood matches Jessica."  
  
They were sitting in a drive-thru waiting to order some food. "That means that they came from the river." Nick observed.  
  
"I'm going to call Catherine and see if they found out anything else about the victims." He pulled his cell phone back out and dialed Catherine's number. She answered it on the second ring.  
  
"Willows?"  
  
"Hey Catherine."  
  
"Hey Griss. How did it go with the governor?"  
  
Grissom couldn't help smiling. "Not good. How did go with the doctor?"  
  
"Sara almost got into a fight with the doctor."  
  
"She what?!"  
  
Nick looked over at his boss. He knew that the other she could have only been Sara. 'Great Sara, what did you do this time?' He thought to himself.  
  
"It's okay. She had every right to upset. They don't do things as well here as they do at our lab."  
  
Grissom exhaled deeply. "What did you find out?"  
  
"I got some sand off both victims to see if they match the sand found on the bank. Sara is getting some molds of the cuts to see if we can identify the type of knife used."  
  
"Okay, Greg just called. He said that the blood we found matched Jessica's."  
  
"Good. At least we're getting somewhere."  
  
Nick pulled the car to the drive-thru window. He looked at Grissom. "Ask her is she wants anything while we're here?"  
  
"I heard him Griss, and yes I'm starved. Get me a cheeseburger and fries. Oh, wait Warrick wants the same thing."  
  
"Nick, add two more cheeseburgers and two more fries to that order." Grissom told Nick.  
  
"What about Sara?"  
  
"She's not with them." Grissom noticed that Nick was about to say something but he put his hand up and mouthed that he would explain later. Nick nodded and placed the order. He added a kid's meal for Lindsey. He would have got something for Sara, but he wasn't sure when he would see her again.  
  
Grissom continued to talk to Catherine. "Okay, we'll meet you back at the orange gate."  
  
"Love you Gil."  
  
"Love you too Catherine. See you soon." He hung up the phone and noticed that Nick was grinning at him. Grissom raised his eyebrow. "What?"  
  
"Nothing, I was just wondering when you're going to ask Catherine to marry you."  
  
Grissom was about to comment, but was saved when Nick pulled up to pay for their food. Nick handed the bags of food to Grissom. He placed them in the floor and then took the drinks from Nick. Nick then pulled out of the driveway and headed back toward the crime scene.  
  
Nick pulled the Tahoe along side Catherine's. She had parked on the side of the road by the orange gate. He helped Grissom with the food and handed Catherine and Warrick their food. "I got Lindsey a kid's meal. I wasn't sure if she would eat with Melissa and Kasey."  
  
Catherine smiled. "She hasn't eaten yet. They just came back from taking Lindsey on the trail by the ballpark."  
  
Nick nodded. "Okay, I'll go run this down to her." He started walking down the road. Grissom called out to him. "Don't you want to take the car?"  
  
"No, I like the fact that I can walk in the middle of the road and not be afraid of getting hit." He kept going and walked around the curve. The house was now in view. He could hear music blaring from the speakers and girls laughing. He walked up to the door and noticed that they were all dancing around in the living room. He knocked on the screen door. Melissa looked up and her face was red. Whether it was that color because she was hot from dancing or embarrassment, he had no clue. She walked to the door. "Hey Nick, is something wrong?"  
  
Nick put on his charm. "No, I just brought Linds a kid's meal."   
  
Lindsey ran over to him. "Thanks Nick!" She took the food and gave him a hug.   
  
He ruffled her sweaty blonde hair. "No problem. I have to get back to others." He waved bye to them and made his way back toward the road. He made his way back to the others. They were sitting on the cars eating. Nick grabbed his burger out of the bag and began eating. After they were finished, Catherine's cell phone rang. "Willows?" She said when she answered the phone.  
  
"Hey Cath." Sara's voice responded on the other end.  
  
"Hey Sara, are you done?"  
  
"Yeah, I'm through. I think they want me out of their morgue."  
  
Catherine laughed. "Wonder why?"  
  
"Anyway, do you think you can come get me, or send someone after me?"  
  
"I'm sure I can find someone to come and get you."  
  
Nick heard this and he was first to the car door. "I'll go."  
  
"You're fiancé said he would be happy to come and get you." Catherine informed her.  
  
"Thanks." She was about to hang up but Catherine stopped her. "Wait, what did you find out?"  
  
"Well there was definitely sex going on, but they weren't raped. I didn't find anything odd under the nails. Sorry."  
  
"That's okay. Did you get the molds done?"  
  
"Yeah, I thought I would take them to the lab where Greg is at and work on them."  
  
"Good idea. Talk to you later Sara. Bye."  
  
"Bye." Catherine hung up the phone and informed the others of what Sara had told her. Grissom looked at Nick. "Since you're going to get her, you can help her with the matching the molds."  
  
"Consider it done." Nick told him and got in the Tahoe and soon drove away. Warrick shook his head. "You think he could be any more excited?"  
  
Catherine laughed and placed her hand on his shoulder. "Come on, we've got sand to collect." She, Warrick, and Grissom tossed their trash in the car and made their way back through the trail. Since Warrick had gone the other way, he didn't know that going left was longer. When they arrived Warrick couldn't believe how different it looked from the other side. "Wow, this place is incredible."  
  
"I know, I would love to just sit here and soak in the sun." Catherine mentioned. She looked at Grissom. "Where should we collect sand from?"  
  
Grissom pointed to the area where they found the blood. "We'll get a sample there and then get one closer to the bank. I think that they must have brushed against it when they were coming out of the boat."  
  
Warrick volunteered to gather the sand near the water. He walked slowly down the bank and to the water's edge. He bent down and gathered some sand into a small plastic evidence jar. He closed the lid and stood back up. He heard a motorboat coming in the distance. Catherine and Grissom heard it as well and walked down beside him. They watched as the boat came into sight. It was cruising along the water. From where they were standing, they could make out three people in the boat. "That looks like fun." Warrick commented.  
  
"Were did they come from?" Catherine asked.  
  
"There is a bridge way over there." Warrick said and pointed to the left. Sure enough there was a bridge. They could barely see the cars crossing it. "That's a main road." Grissom said. "We came over that bridge coming here."  
  
"There are house boats in that area." Catherine said remembering it as well.   
  
"I've got a feeling that might be where our suspect took off from." Grissom said.  
  
"I think we need to ride over there and see if anyone saw them." Catherine suggested. The others agreed so they made their way back toward the orange gate.  
  
Sara was sitting on the steps outside the building. She glanced at her watch. It read 3 p.m. 'Where did the time go?' She thought to herself. She was getting hungry. Normally she could miss a meal and be fine. But since she hadn't ate since sometime yesterday, she was starved. She decided to make Nick take her somewhere to get something to eat. She closed her eyes and let the sun's rays take her mind off the case and her hunger. She opened them when she heard a car pull up. She smiled and got up off the steps. Nick got out of the vehicle and walked to her. He grabbed her by the waist and leaned down and kissed her. She put her arms around his neck and pulled him closer. The kiss was long and passionate. The rumbling of her stomach caused Nick to pull away. "I think we need to you something to eat." He told her.  
  
"Yeah." She leaned down and gathered the evidence she collected and got in the passenger side of the Tahoe. Nick was in the driver's side and put on his seat belt. "So what are you hungry for?"  
  
"I don't care as long as its not meat and that it's edible."   
  
Nick laughed. "Okay, I guess that narrows it down." He pulled out of the parking space and soon they were on the highway. Nick and Sara glanced around looking for a restaurant. "What do you want to eat Nick?"  
  
"Oh, I've already eaten. We stopped and got some burgers for everyone. I would have picked you up something but I wasn't sure when I would see you again."  
  
"That's okay." She reached over and grabbed his hand and held it. "I wonder if Greg's ate?" She pulled her cell phone out with her right hand and dialed his number with her right thumb. She knew it would be easier to dial if she would let Nick's hand go, but she didn't want to. The phone was answered on the third ring. "Yeah?"  
  
"Nice greeting." Sara told him.   
  
"Hi Sara. What's going on?"  
  
"I'm heading to the lab to work on some molds. I was calling to see if you have ate anything yet?"  
  
"I got a snack for the candy machine, but I haven't had real food."  
  
"I'll pick you up something."  
  
"Thanks. I'll see you soon."  
  
"Bye Greg." She hung up the phone and sat it in her lap. Nick looked around and saw a Chinese place up ahead. "How does Chinese sound?"  
  
"Good." Sara reached in her pocket and pulled out some money. She handed it to Nick. "Do you mind going in? I want to sit out here for a while."  
  
Nick looked at her. "Are you okay?"  
  
"Yeah, I'm just tired and hungry." She noticed the concerned look he was giving her. She tried to reassure him. "I'm fine Nick. I just have a slight headache."  
  
"You know what they say about getting rid of a headache." He said and leaned over and kissed her. She pulled away after a moment. "Yeah, I've heard." She pointed to the restaurant. "Make sure you Greg something."  
  
Nick kissed her one more time. "I will. I'll be back." Nick got out of the car and walked inside. Sara leaned her head back against the headrest and closed her eyes. When Nick came back with the food, he noticed she had fallen asleep. He quietly closed the door and sat the food in the back seat. He pulled out and made his way toward the lab.  
  
Grissom and the others pulled down the driveway that led to the houseboats. There were at least twenty houses all together. Some sat right at the edge of the bank. Others were further from the water. Catherine got out of the vehicle and looked around. "Where to start?" She wondered aloud.   
  
Grissom had no clue really. "Did we ever find out where the victims were from?"  
  
"We know where Jessica lived but not Sherri." Catherine stated. She started to pull out her cell phone. "I could call and find out."  
  
"That would be a good idea. We also need to contact her family."  
  
"You'd think the cops around here would have already done that." Warrick put in.   
  
Grissom only nodded. He watched as Catherine dialed a number. "Hey Nick. Yeah, I need you to do me a favor. Where are you right now?" There was a brief pause. "Okay, could you look up Sherri Preston's address?" Another pause. "Thanks Nick. Bye." She hung up the phone and clipped it back to her jeans. She glanced over at Grissom. "Sherri lived down the block from Jessica. According to the file that Nick brought it, she doesn't have a family near by."  
  
"Okay, I guess we go door to door and ask questions." Grissom suggested. "It will faster if we split up."  
  
Catherine and Warrick both agreed. They each went to separate houses and began their questions. After several visits they were down to one last house. It was a house along the river. All three CSIs walked up to the door. Warrick knocked and waited for someone to answer. A woman in her mid twenties came to the door. "Can I help you?"  
  
"Ma'am we're here helping the N.C. CSI lab. We need to ask you a few questions." Grissom said and then introduced himself and the others. The woman smiled. "My name is Misty Watts. Come on in." She moved aside to let them in. They walked in and found themselves in the living room. The room was tiny with toys everywhere. "Sorry for the mess, my son can't keep his toys cleaned up." She went over and made a space for them to sit down on the couch.  
  
"That's okay. We won't take long." Grissom told her. He heard a motorboat speed across the water.   
  
Warrick watched it as it flew by the house. "Do you get that a lot?"  
  
Misty looked outside as the boat went out of her sight. "All the time. Especially in the spring and summer times."  
  
"Are you from here?" Catherine asked.  
  
"Not originally. I'm from New York. My family and I moved down when I was fifteen."  
  
"Do you know Jessica Hodges or Sherri Preston?" Grissom replied getting straight to the point of their visit.  
  
"Sherri is one of my best friends. Why do you ask? Is she in trouble again?" Misty began shifting from one foot to the other.  
  
"No, she's not in trouble." Catherine began. She was wondering how to bring tell her the news without sounding insensitive. "Sherri was found dead late yesterday along with Jessica Hodges."  
  
Tears began to form in Misty's eyes. "Oh God." She closed her eyes and grabbed a hold of the chair beside her. "How?"  
  
Catherine looked over at Grissom. She wasn't sure if she should tell the other woman the whole truth. Grissom gave Catherine a slight nod. So she took that as an okay. "She was slashed to death by a knife and hung from a tree."  
  
"Where?"  
  
"In the woods on the Goat Farm Road."  
  
"The Goat Farm Road? The road that is supposedly haunted and that had devil worshipers on it." Misty couldn't believe it. She'd known people who lived on that road.  
  
"Well, I don't know about the haunted part or the devil worshipers, but I guess that's the only road around here with that name." Grissom stated.  
  
"Everyone around here knows the rumors. I'm sure most of them aren't true. Still most people stay away from it."   
  
"Misty, when was the last time you saw Sherri?" Warrick asked. He knew that they needed to concentrate on what was important.  
  
"Yesterday."  
  
"Where did you see her at?" Catherine wanted to know.  
  
Misty looked over at her. "Here. She came by to tell me that she and Jessica were going boat riding."  
  
"Did she mention anyone else that was going?"  
  
"Some guy. I didn't even have time to find out who."  
  
"Did Sherri or Jessica have a boyfriend?" Warrick asked her.  
  
"No, they were more the one night stand type girls. They would go to parties and pick up men. They would have a different man a night if they could."  
  
Grissom now felt like they were finally getting somewhere. He looked over at Misty. "Where would these parties take place?"  
  
"Sometimes at people's houses. Most of the guys they picked up came from the club. There is one about thirty minutes from here."  
  
"We're going to need the name of that club."   
  
"Yesterday's." Misty responded. She was about to say something else when she heard her son crying. "I'm sorry. I need to go and check on him."  
  
"That's okay. We're done here." Grissom told her and stood up. Warrick and Catherine also got up and walked toward the door. "Thank you for your help Misty."  
  
"You're welcome." Misty watched them walk out and then headed for the back bedroom.  
  
Grissom, Catherine, and Warrick began walking back toward their vehicle. They reached it and Grissom opened the driver's side door. Catherine got in the front passenger side with Warrick behind her in the back seat. Once they were all in and buckled up, Grissom looked at Catherine. "Okay, we have to check out that club."  
  
"I'm sure the clubs here don't open 'til at least eight or nine." Catherine told him.   
  
"Okay, let's go to the lab and see if Nick and Sara have found anything and then we will make a plan from there." Grissom started the car and headed toward the lab. About five minutes down the road, he noticed that both Catherine and Warrick had fallen asleep. Grissom was sleepy as well, but knew that it would be a while before he could sleep again.   
  
Nick and Sara had the molds laid out on the table. Nick took a piece of paper and traced around the mold making the shape of the blade. The blade was about like any other blade. It was approximately 4 inches long. Nick couldn't place the exact type of knife. He decided to get on the internet and look up knives, knowing that there were probably a million knives that looked like this one. He typed in knives in the search engine to see what turns up. He noticed how many sites there were devoted to knives. "This could take forever." He sighed and placed his hands on the computer desk in front of him. He slumped over in his chair. Exhaustion was beginning to set in. Sara noticed this. She stood behind him and put her hands on his shoulders. She began to massage them gently applying pressure and moving her way to his neck and back. Nick leaned into her and closed his eyes. He wanted nothing more than to stay right where he was. He also knew that they needed to get back to work. Sara's hands continued to caress him as she made her way back to his shoulders. She leaned over and kissed his neck and whispered, "Does that feel better?"  
  
Nick turned around in his chair causing her to remove her hands. He looked into her brown eyes and smiled. "Yes it does, but this is even better." He grabbed her by the waist and pulled her into his lap. His lips met hers. Sara snaked her arms around his neck and pressed herself closer to him. It took all his will power to pull her away. "I guess I better get back to work." He said breathing heavily.  
  
"I guess so." She got up off his lap and let him turn his chair back around. They continued to look at the knives on the net. So engrossed with the screen, neither noticed when the others came in. Warrick shook his head. "That better not be porno on that screen."  
  
Nick looked up at his friend and laughed. "No, not quite. Why?"  
  
"They way you two were staring at it, I was beginning to wonder."  
  
"We're trying to find the knife that was used." Sara stated giving Warrick a gap toothed smile. "Did you find anything helpful?"  
  
"Greg is running the sand samples and seeing if they match."   
  
"Oh, and we went to the house boats that are along the river." Catherine added.  
  
"How did that go?" Nick replied without taking his eyes off the screen.  
  
"We actually learned a few things." Grissom answered and told them about what they had learned from Misty.  
  
"So I guess we're going clubbing." Sara said.   
  
"Some of us are, not all." Grissom responded giving her a look that she would be staying. Sara caught onto his stare quickly. She shook her head. "No way you're making me stay here. Catherine and I have would have a better chance pumping information from those guys, than you would."  
  
Nick stopped what he was doing to join in on the conversation. "Much as I hate to admit it, Sara's right." She gave him a triumphant look, but noticed that he wasn't done yet. "I think that one of us should be escorting them."  
  
Catherine looked at Nick. "I don't think we would be in any danger."  
  
Grissom took up for Nick. "It's not about whether or not you'll be in danger. We just need to make sure that information will be the only thing 'pumping' in that club."  
  
Catherine glanced over at Sara. The younger woman shrugged her shoulders in defeat. Catherine looked back over at Grissom. "Fine, but I get to pick who goes."  
  
"Deal."  
  
She looked over at Warrick. "You're coming with us."  
  
Warrick grinned. "Sweet."  
  
"Good." Catherine looked down at her watch. It was around six. "I need to go pick up Lindsey and I think we better find a hotel to stay at."  
  
Grissom hadn't thought about that one. "Okay." He was about to say something else when Greg walked in. "Hey Grissom. I got the results back from your sand. It's a match."  
  
"Good job Greg." Grissom looked at his team and saw the exhausted faces on each one them. "Here's the deal. I need someone to stay here and work on trying to find a match to the knife."  
  
Nick volunteered since he was already at the computer doing just that. Grissom looked at the rest of them. "We need to find a place to spend the night and we have to get Lindsey. So here's what we are going to do, Catherine and I will go and get Lindsey and get directions to the club. Sara and Warrick will go and find a hotel for us."  
  
Greg looked over at Grissom. "What about me?"  
  
"Stay and help Nick. Once you find a match, let me know. We will need to see if we find where it was bought from."  
  
"That could take a long time." Greg commented as he walked over and grabbed a chair and set it down next to Nick.  
  
"I realize that. That's why I want you to see if you can use another computer to hurry the process along."  
  
"Sure, no problem." Greg walked out and came back with a laptop. They all gave him a strange look.  
  
Warrick was the first to mention something. "That was fast. What did you do, steal it off someone's desk."  
  
Greg nodded. "Yeah, no one was in there using it."  
  
The others laughed. Grissom looked at his team. "Okay, let's get started."  
  
"Don't you mean let's split up gang." Greg asked giving Grissom a grin.  
  
"You'd better stop right there Greg or you'll end up like Scrappy." Greg gave him an odd look. Grissom pointed toward the outside. "Out on the curb."  
  
"Haha, very funny Grissom. Are you also saying that I'm cute too?"  
  
"Don't push it Greg." Grissom stated and then turned and walked out with the others leaving only Greg and Nick.  
  
Catherine and Grissom pulled up to Melissa's house. The sky was turning very dark. Thunder could be heard in the distance. Kasey, Melissa, and Lindsey came outside. Lindsey ran up to her mother and gave her a hug. "Hey mommy."  
  
"Hey sweetie, did you have fun?" Catherine said returning the hug.  
  
Lindsey nodded her head. "Yeah, we went on a walk near the ball park and we watched television."  
  
Catherine grinned and let go of her. She looked over at the two girls. "Thank you for watching her for me. Do I owe you anything?"  
  
"You're welcome. It was our pleasure." Melissa answered and looked down at Lindsey.   
  
Grissom looked over at the girls. "Can either one of you tell me how to get to Yesterday's?"  
  
"Sure." They gave him directions and Grissom thanked them.  
  
Thunder boomed loudly causing Lindsey to hug her mother again. Kasey looked up in the sky. "It's a Jurassic Park thunderstorm."  
  
"Excuse me?" Grissom asked curiously.  
  
"Oh, see Jurassic Park is one of my all time favorite movies and it storms in there all the time. Well, the sky looks like it did in Jurassic Park. So that's why I said it was that kind of storm."  
  
Grissom nodded. He had never seen Jurassic Park to make the analogy but he took her word for it. Grissom and Catherine thanked them again and got in the car. As soon as the doors were shut the rain started pouring in sheets. He could hear Kasey tell Melissa that this was indeed a JP storm. He smiled and decided that he would have to watch the movie to find out for himself. He pulled the car out of the driveway and made his way back toward the lab to get Nick and Greg. He was sure that Sara and Warrick hadn't found a hotel yet.  
  
  
  
Sara and Warrick were on the interstate when the rain came pouring down. Warrick was driving slower than the other cars considering he had no clue where he was. Sara was staring out the window looking for hotel signs. She hadn't found yet, which really surprised her. Living in Vegas was definitely different from living in North Carolina. About another ten minutes down the road, she found some signs for hotels. "The next exit has some Warrick."  
  
"Good, I'm having a hard time seeing where I'm going." He drove along and turned off the exit. They drove around and looked at the hotels. They finally found one that didn't look too bad. Warrick pulled up at the door to let Sara run in. She hopped out of the Tahoe and ran inside. She noticed how chilly it was as soon as she came in the door. Goose bumps hit her flesh and an icy chill ran through her body. She tried to control the shivering she now felt. She walked up the receptionist and told the man that she needed two rooms with two queen beds. He was getting her information when Warrick came in. He stood beside Sara and wiped some of the excess rain off his arms. Sara looked at him. "You're wet."  
  
"It's raining." He answered and grinned knowing the movie quote he and Sara were using.   
  
Sara smiled back and turned her attention back to the man getting the forms together. "Alright, do you need smoking or non?"   
  
"Non smoking please." Sara answered him. The man smiled and wrote that down. He gave Sara the total and she handed him a credit card. After everything was settled he handed her the keys. "Enjoy your stay Miss Sidle."  
  
"Thank you." She said as she grabbed the keys. She and Warrick really didn't want to go back in the rain. Warrick looked at her. "You think we should just give them directions and let them come here?"  
  
"Will they all fit in the rental car?" Sara asked.  
  
"Sure, they can put Lindsey in the middle." Warrick informed her. "Let's go and check out our rooms."  
  
Sara liked that idea. They went to the elevator and rode it up to the second floor where their rooms were. Sara handed one key to Warrick and took the other. They had room numbers twenty-two and twenty-three. Warrick looked down at his key. It was for room twenty-three. He swiped the lock and they went inside. The bathroom was to their right. They walked on inside and noticed that the beds were off to the right as well. The television was on a stand. Sara went straight to a bed and fell down on it. Warrick sat down on the other one and leaned back. He looked over at Sara. "Wanna check out the other room?"  
  
Sara shook her head no. "I call this room and this is my bed." She looked at Warrick. "Besides, you know that Catherine, Lindsey, and Grissom will take the other room."  
  
"Great I have to share a bed with Greg?"  
  
Sara laughed. "Well, you could or we can request a cot."  
  
"Good idea. Greg is sleeping on the cot. I call this bed." Warrick grabbed the remote control and flipped on the tube. Sara pulled out her cell phone and dialed Grissom's number. Grissom answered on the second ring. "Grissom."  
  
"Hey, it's Sara. I wanted to tell you we've got a hotel."  
  
"Good. Where is it?"  
  
Sara gave him the directions and hung up the phone. She looked over and noticed that Warrick had fallen asleep. She knew that she should also get some rest. She also knew that it would take them a while to get there. So she reached over and grabbed the remote control away from Warrick's sleeping form. She cut the t.v. off and got back on the bed. Five minutes later, Sara was sound asleep.  
  
Nick and Greg were still searching the net for knives. Nick was about to give up. He decided to give one more website a try. He scrolled down and found a knife with a blade exactly like the mold they had. "Hey Greg, I think I found it." He told his friend.  
  
Greg placed the lap top computer down and looked over at Nick's screen. Nick began reading about the knife. "It's called a Skinner II and it's nine inches overall. It has a four inch stainless steel blade with full tang construction with a lanyard hole."  
  
Greg whistled. "Now that's a knife."  
  
Nick laughed. "Yeah, it's got a code number to it." Nick grabbed a piece of paper and wrote down the number and the knife's information. He then logged off the Internet and turned to Greg. "I guess we've got some calling to do."  
  
"Yep." Greg got up and grabbed the lap top computer. "I'll be right back." He left the room and came back with a phone book. "Alright. You take the left side and I'll take the right."  
  
"Okay." Nick took the page from Greg and began dialing the numbers to the various places that sold those knifes. After they called all of the stores, they were able to narrow them down to two. The others stores didn't carry that type of knife.  
  
"Well, I guess we're finally getting somewhere." Greg commented.   
  
Grissom, Catherine, and Lindsey came in. Their clothes were wet. "What did you find out?" Grissom asked.  
  
Nick and Greg told them about the knife and the two stores that carried them. Grissom seemed pleased. "Good. Sara and Warrick found us a place to stay."  
  
"Are they coming back here?" Greg asked.  
  
"No, we're going to met them at the hotel."  
  
Nick got up and stretched. "I'm ready to get out of here. Are we going straight to the stores?"  
  
"I don't think we all need to go. Besides we need to drop Lindsey off at the hotel."  
  
They all began walking out of the lab and made a run for it to the car. Nick, Greg, and Lindsey hopped in the backseat. Lindsey sat in the middle between the guys. "It's pouring out here." Greg noted.  
  
Lindsey looked at him. "It's a Jurassic Park storm." She told him.   
  
Greg smiled at her. "Yes it is." He looked out the window and watched as lightening danced across the sky. He was very thankful he didn't have to drive through this mess.  
  
Grissom finally found the hotel. He pulled the rental car beside the rented Tahoe. The rain had finally slowed down. They all got out and headed inside the building. Lindsey ran the elevator. "I want to press the buttons."  
  
Catherine exhaled. "Go ahead." She watched as Lindsey pressed the button and waited for the doors to open. Once the doors slid open, they stepped inside. "What floor are we on?" Lindsey asked.  
  
"The second." Grissom answered.  
  
Lindsey pressed the number two and stepped back toward her mom. The ride up was quiet. The elevator's bell dinged and the doors opened. They got off and walked toward the rooms. They knew about the different rooms, unsure of which one Sara and Warrick were in, they knocked on both. A few moments later Warrick answered the door. He yawned. "Hey guys." He walked back inside and grabbed the other key. He handed it to Grissom. "We guessed that you, Catherine, and Lindsey would share a room. Sara and I picked this one."  
  
Grissom took the key and watched as Nick and Greg went in the room with no comment. He shook his head and told Warrick thanks. He walked over and opened the door to his room. Catherine and Lindsey were right behind him. Warrick walked back in his room to see that Nick had crawled on the bed beside Sara and leaned down to kiss her cheek. "How long has she been asleep?" Nick asked Warrick.  
  
"She feel asleep right after I did. I would say maybe an hour." Greg was sitting on the other bed. Warrick looked at him. "I've already called that bed, so don't get comfy."  
  
Greg looked at him. "Where am I gonna sleep?"  
  
"We're going to order a cot for you. Unless you want to sleep on the floor."   
  
"A cot is fine. I was just wondering." Greg grabbed the remote control and flipped on the television. He found a scary movie and began watching it. Warrick glanced over at Nick. "Did you guys find anything on the knife?"  
  
"Yeah, we found one that matches the mold. So we called around and found two stores that carry it."  
  
"I'm guessing someone's going to be shopping."  
  
"Yeah, but Grissom didn't say who." Nick felt Sara bump against his leg. Her arm reached out and landed on his stomach, but she didn't wake up. "Are you guys still going to the club tonight?"  
  
Warrick nodded. "That's the plan. I'm not sure when though."  
  
"I would say be there by ten at the latest."   
  
A knock at the door got their attention. Warrick was closer to the door so he answered it. He opened to find the others. He moved aside to let them enter. Lindsey ran straight to the bed Greg was on and hopped in. She looked at the screen and saw what he was watching. "Cool! A scary movie, can I watch it with you Greg?"  
  
"If it's okay with your mom." He told her.  
  
"It's okay. Mom let me watch them with Nick, Sara, and Warrick." She got comfy and leaned in beside him. Catherine walked in and smiled at the scene before her. In one bed was her daughter and Greg watching t.v. and in the other was a sleeping Sara with her arm around Nick. "Greg do you mind watching Lindsey while we go check out those stores?" Catherine asked.  
  
"Not at all. Lindsey and I will be just fine. Except there is one thing we need." Greg said looking up at Catherine.  
  
"What's that?"  
  
"Pizza. I'm starved."   
  
Catherine grinned. "Okay, I will order you guys a pizza. Besides it's supper time anyway and we all need to eat something."  
  
Warrick nodded. "Yeah, we've got a long night ahead of us."  
  
Catherine agreed and glanced over at Nick. "I guess you better wake sleeping beauty there."  
  
Nick smiled. "Yeah, I will." He looked at Grissom. "Who is all going to the stores?"  
  
"All of us besides Greg and Lindsey. Catherine, Warrick, and Sara will have to leave to go to Yesterday's after we get done."  
  
Nick gently pushed Sara's shoulder. "Wake up Sara."  
  
She slowly opened her eyes. It took her a few moments to realize where she was. She leaned up and saw that everyone was in her room. "Hey guys, what's going on?"  
  
"We'll tell you on the way." Nick said and helped her out of bed. They walked out in the hall followed by Warrick and Grissom. Catherine went over to her daughter and kissed her bye. "Be good and listen to Greg."  
  
"I will. Love you mommy."  
  
"Love you too sweetie. Have fun." She walked out and the group made their way back to the elevators. Once they were outside, Grissom and Nick got in the car, and Sara, Catherine, and Warrick got in the Tahoe. As Warrick backed out of the parking space, both Sara and Catherine waved bye to the men they loved.  
  
Grissom and Nick pulled the rental car into the Mike's Hunting Lodge. Both gentlemen got out and walked in the store. A man in his mid forties stood behind the counter. "Evening gentlemen. Anything I can help you with you?"  
  
Grissom and Nick made their way to the counter. "In fact there is. We're looking for a certain knife." Grissom told him.  
  
The man, whose nametag identified him as Mark, nodded and pointed to the glass counter to his right. "This is all the knives we have at the moment. What kind of knife are you looking for?"  
  
"A Skinner II." Nick answered him.  
  
Mark looked down at his collection and found the knife. He reached down and pulled it out and laid it on the glass counter. "This is the last one we have."  
  
Grissom looked at it. He glanced back up at Mark. "May I?"  
  
Mark nodded and Grissom picked the knife up and examined it closely. He then handed it to Nick. Nick laid it back down on the counter and pulled a piece of paper out of his back pocket. It was the paper that had the drawing of the mold. Nick put the paper on the counter and then placed the knife on the paper. It was a perfect match. Grissom looked at Mark. "Have you sold one of these knives lately?"  
  
"Yes sir. I sold one two days ago."  
  
"Do you remember who bought it?" Grissom asked feeling like they finally were making some progress.  
  
"I don't remember his name, but he paid with a credit card."  
  
Nick pulled his I.D. out of his pocket. "We're from the Las Vegas crime lab. We're here to help solve a case and we believe that the man who bought the knife might have a connection to it."  
  
Mark turned back toward the front counter and bent down. He pulled back out a records book. "I'll help in anyway I can." He began flipping through the book. "Here it is. The guy that bought the knife was Joshua Epps."  
  
Grissom smiled. "Thank you for your help."   
  
"You're welcome."  
  
Grissom and Nick began to make their way back outside. They got in the car and decided that they needed to head back to the lab and get some information on Joshua Epps. Nick wasn't sure if that was their guy but he felt better now that they had another person to question.  
  
Catherine, Warrick, and Sara were standing inside of Castle Bridge Sports. They began looking around for knives. A man came up to them and smiled. "How are you doing today?"  
  
Warrick smiled back. "We're good. Thanks."  
  
"Anything I can help you with?"  
  
"Do you have a Skinner II?"   
  
The man nodded his head and led them to it. He pointed to the knife. "That's it."  
  
Catherine and Sara were each on one side of Warrick. Catherine noticed that there was only one of that type of knife. "Is this the only one you have?" she asked.  
  
"Yes ma'am. I sold the other one I had about two weeks ago."  
  
Warrick looked from the knife to the man. "Can you tell us about the person who bought it?" He watched as the man's face changed expressions. He pulled out his I.D. and showed the man. "We're investigating a crime and the person who bought it might be able to help us."  
  
The man observed Warrick's badge carefully. "Las Vegas is a long way from here. How come the N.C. police aren't handling this?"  
  
"They needed some extra help." Catherine explained but didn't go into more detail.  
  
"Okay, just wondering. The last guy that bought a Skinner was Alexander Shore."  
  
"Do you know him personally?"   
  
"Sure do. I've known him for about ten years. He comes in here all the time with his two sons. They go hunting, camping, and fishing."  
  
Catherine looked over at Warrick. She wasn't sure if this was their guy or not, but she knew they still needed to talk to him. "Could you give us his address?" She replied. "We just need to ask him a few questions."  
  
"You don't think Alex had something to do with the crime you're talking about do you?"  
  
Warrick took over for Catherine. "It's procedure sir. We don't judge a person until we have enough information about them."  
  
The man reluctantly gave them Alex's phone number. Catherine thanked him and they were on their way out.   
  
After stopping by the lab to get Joshua's address, Nick and Grissom were on their way to Joshua's house. Nick was driving letting Grissom get some needed rest. The rain finally quit so he was able to focus more on where he was going. Nick found the street he was looking for and turned on it. Scanning the addresses on the mailboxes he found the one he was looking for. He pulled his car up the drive and shut off the engine. He turned to get Grissom's attention and noticed that the older man was asleep. Nick decided that he really didn't need to wake up Grissom. All he was going to do was ask the guy some questions. So Nick got out of the car quietly and made his way to the front door of the house. He rang the doorbell and waited. A few moments later a teenage girl answered the door. She had short spiky blonde hair. She looked at Nick for a moment before speaking. "Are you lost?"  
  
"No, I'm looking for Joshua Epps. Is he here?"  
  
She gave him a quizzical look. "Why do you want Josh?"  
  
"I need to ask him a few questions." Nick pulled out his I.D. and showed it to the girl. She glanced at the I.D. and back to Nick. "Vegas huh. You sure are a long way from home to be asking my brother some questions."  
  
"It's important that I speak to him."  
  
She leaned back against the doorframe. "Josh isn't here. He went out with some girl."  
  
Nick exhaled deeply. "Do you know where they went?"  
  
"Knowing Josh, he's at the club. He's always there."  
  
Nick nodded. "Can I ask you a question?"  
  
"You just did." She said and gave him a wink.   
  
Nick grinned. "I guess I did. How about this one, does Josh go hunting?"  
  
The girl began laughing hysterically. Her eyes began to water and tears began making their way down her cheeks. "I'm sorry." She gasped in between breaths. "Josh couldn't hunt if his life depended on it."  
  
Nick watched as she pulled herself back together. She glanced up and Nick and he could tell she was on the verge of laughing again. "Look, Mr. Stokes is it? Josh is preppy boy who wouldn't dare go through the woods and get his pretty clothes messed up. He has a reputation as a ladies man."  
  
This got Nick's attention. "So I guess he dates a lot."  
  
"A lot is an understatement. He's with a different girl every night."  
  
"Where does he go clubbing?"  
  
"Mostly at Yesterday's. He knows everyone there."  
  
Nick smiled. "Thanks for your help." He began making his way back down the stairs. He could hear her say that he was welcome and that he could come back anytime. Nick shook his head and got back in the car. He decided to give Sara a call. He pulled out his cell phone and dialed her all too familiar number. "Sidle." She answered  
  
"Hey honey, how are you?"  
  
"Hey, I'm okay. Where are you?"  
  
He explained about going to the store and learning about Joshua. He also told her that he was going to be at Yesterday's.  
  
"I'll keep an eye for him. We're on our way to talk to Alex." She then began to tell him about what the man at the store told her. Nick waited until she was done to continue. "I'm thinking that Joshua might be our guy."  
  
"If he is, we'll find out."  
  
"Be careful okay. You and Catherine need to be on guard."  
  
"You make it sound like we're on a stake out. Nick I promise we'll be fine. It's just a club. All we're going to do is dance with guys and get some information from them."  
  
"I know. It's just that clubs can be dangerous."  
  
"Nick, I appreciate your concern. Trust me, we'll be fine. Plus we have Warrick with us and you know he's not going to let anything bad happen."  
  
"Alright. I'm going to let you go so you can get to work. I'll see you later tonight."  
  
"I love you Nick."  
  
"Love you too Sara. Bye." He hung up the phone and placed it on the change compartment. He glanced over at Grissom, who was still asleep, and decided that there was nothing else they could do. So he drove them to a fast food place and got some take out and drove back to the hotel.  
  
Warrick, Catherine, and Sara pulled up in Alex's driveway. They noticed that there was only one car in the garage. They got out of the car and walked up the stone pathway to the front door. Warrick rang the doorbell. A few minutes later a woman answered the door. She gave them an odd look. "I don't give to charity." She told them and was about to close the door. Warrick shook his head. "We're not here for a charity ma'am. We need to speak to Alexander Shore."  
  
The woman smiled. "He's not here. He and my two sons went on a father son trip."  
  
"May we ask when did they leave?" Catherine replied.  
  
"Three days ago. They will be back tomorrow."  
  
Warrick knew that Alex couldn't be there man. "Thank you Mrs. Shore." He turned around and headed back toward the car. Sara and Catherine right behind him. Catherine gave him a questioning look when they reached it. "You're going to believe her story, just like that? She could have been lying."  
  
Warrick turned around to stare at her. "Come on Cath, you don't think a married man with two sons would have done that do you?"  
  
"It's been done before." She stated. She breathed deeply. "Warrick, how many times have we been on a case and someone has always lied for the people they love?"  
  
Sara decided that she should just stay out of their argument. She opened the back seat door and got in the Tahoe. Neither Catherine nor Warrick seemed to notice her. She pulled out her cell phone and dialed information. She waited and got connected to a phone number. The phone was picked up by Mrs. Shore. "Hello?"  
  
"Yes, I need to speak to Mr. Shore."  
  
"He isn't here right now, he's on vacation with his sons. Is there something I can help you with?"  
  
"Actually there is, I really need to speak to him. Is there any way you could give me the location he's staying at and a phone number I could reach him by?"  
  
"Sure. He's staying at Brown Mountain Park. The number there is 555-1313."  
  
"Thank you very much." Sara hung up the phone and listened as Catherine and Warrick continued to argue about whether or not the wife had been lying. She dialed the number of Brown Mountain Park. It was answered on the second ring. "Brown Mountain Park. This is Joe."  
  
"Hey Joe. I'm calling to check to see if my cousin is still there." She lied.  
  
"Sure, what's the name?"  
  
"Alexander Shore."  
  
"Hold on one moment please." There was a brief pause. "Yes ma'am he's still here with his two sons."  
  
"Can you tell me when they arrived?"  
  
"Three days ago."  
  
Sara smiled. "Thank you Joe. Good-bye." She hung up her cell phone and opened the door. She looked at Catherine. "Warrick's right."  
  
"What do you mean he's right?" Catherine asked a little upset that Sara was taking Warrick's side.  
  
"I called." Sara explained what she did while they were arguing. Catherine glanced over at Warrick. "Sorry I doubted you."  
  
He grinned at her. "It's okay. I would have done the same thing." He looked down at his watch. "There is a way you can make it up to me though."  
  
"How?"  
  
"You can owe me a dance." Catherine laughed. She put her hand on his shoulder and squeezed it. "You've got a deal."  
  
Yesterday's was already packed at ten o'clock. Warrick, Sara, and Catherine had gone back to the hotel and dressed up for the club. Now all three were standing in the parking lot. Warrick had on a black button up long sleeve shirt with three buttons undone at the top. His jeans were also black. Catherine looked at Warrick. She had on a red dress that showed off all her curves. "Ready?" She asked. Warrick nodded. She slipped her arm through his left one. Sara was on the right side of Warrick. She was wearing a blue spaghetti strap shirt with tight low-rise jeans. She left her engagement ring with Nick. She slipped her left arm through Warrick's right arm. He could feel the stares the other men were giving him as he escorted both women inside the club. The music was blaring and strobe lights were flashing everywhere. Catherine leaned near Warrick's ear. "We should we start?"   
  
He looked around and then turned to speak in her ear. "Let's start on the dance floor. We'll meet more people that way."  
  
"Lead on."  
  
Warrick walked them to the dance floor and soon all three began dancing to the music. It didn't take long before guys were coming to dance along side Catherine and Sara. Warrick noticed that there were some women coming his way as well. Catherine decided to put to good use the dances she learned while stripping to get some of the guys' attention. A tall man with brown hair danced his way over to Catherine and they began swaying together. After a few minutes of dancing he leaned down to speak to her. "I've never seen you here before."  
  
She smiled. "I'm just down visiting some of my family." She told him. He grabbed a hold of her waist as the music slowed down and they began to move as one. He wrapped his arms around her and whispered in her ear. "Guess it's my lucky night then."  
  
"What's your name?" She asked him hoping that maybe this was Joshua.  
  
"Logan." He replied. "What's yours?"  
  
"Catherine." She didn't see any point in lying to him. They danced a few more minutes and Warrick came by and took her hand and moved her toward him. They began dancing together once more. "Is that him?" He asked her.  
  
"No, some guy named Logan." She looked around for Sara. "How's Sara doing?"  
  
"The last time I saw her she was dancing with some guy with spiky black hair."  
  
  
  
Sara was pulled away from Warrick by a medium sized, black spiky hair guy. He rested his arms around her waist and danced very closely to her. "So, you come here often?" He asked her.  
  
"Actually this is my first time here." She told him. She could feel his arms tighten around her.   
  
"Well, I guess it's my job to show you a good time." He pulled away from her and looked into her eyes. "You want a drink?"  
  
Sara's mind tried to figure out if she should take him on his offer. Part of her wanted to say no and go back to Warrick. The other part of her brain knew that she could probably get some information about Joshua if she went. "Sure." She gave him her best smile.  
  
He grabbed her hand and led her to the bar. He ordered a beer for himself and asked Sara what she wanted. She didn't want to drink much, so she ordered margarita. The bartender handed them their drinks and the guy led her to a table. They sat down and the guy took a sip of his beer. "So what's your name?" He asked her.  
  
"Sara. What's yours?"  
  
"Trent."   
  
She nodded. "So Trent, do you come here often?"  
  
"Occasionally. I like to get out and have a good time now and then." He took another sip of his beer and watched as Sara took a sip of her drink. She felt nervous with him watching her. She didn't know why. She glanced around looking for any sign of Warrick or Catherine. She didn't see either one of them.  
  
"Looking for the guy you came with?" Trent asked her.  
  
"Actually I was looking for someone else. Do you know who Joshua Epps is?"  
  
Trent frowned and reached out for her hand. "Sara, baby, you don't need a guy like him. Trust me. All he wants is one thing. After tomorrow you'll just be another girl he's screwed."  
  
Sara pulled her hand out of Trent's grasp. "That's not why I'm looking for him." She replied.  
  
"That's good to hear. You're too beautiful to throw yourself away for a guy like him." He gave her a seductive look. "Of course if you need someone to take care of that for you."  
  
Sara knew where this was heading. "No, thanks. You know, I appreciate the drink. I think I need to go and find my friend." She got up and started to make her way toward the dance floor. Trent grabbed her arm. "Wait. I didn't mean to say that. I'm not like that honestly."  
  
She pulled her arm free and looked at him. "I really need to go. Sorry." She turned around and made her way through the dance floor. She found Warrick dancing with some girl and Sara pulled him away from her. She put her arms around his neck and brought his ear to her mouth. "Where's Catherine?"  
  
He pulled away from her and rested his hands on her shoulders. "She was dancing with some guy. What's wrong?"  
  
"Nothing. I just heard how much of a player Josh is."  
  
Warrick laughed. "Yeah, that's what I've been hearing about Jessica and Sherri. I've heard from plenty of the girls I've been dancing with that they were pretty wild. Which is exactly what Misty said."  
  
"I guess we'll just have to see if anyone in here can give us more information about them."  
  
She spotted another guy and nodded toward him. "I'm gonna go dancing."   
  
Warrick nodded and watched as she danced her way over to the other guy. He watched them for a few moments and then decided to find Catherine.   
  
Catherine was now dancing with guy number five. So far the only thing she's learned about Joshua and the two girls were that they liked to party, a lot. The guy she was dancing with was probably in his late twenties. He had blonde spiky hair and baby blue eyes. She could smell the alcohol coming off him. "So." She asked. "Do you know Jessica Hodges or Sherri Preston?"  
  
"Oh yeah I know them." He gave her a big grin. "Are you one of their friends?"  
  
She nodded. "Yeah, we go way back."  
  
"That's awesome. Jess, Sherri, and I hooked up just the other day."  
  
That sparked some interest for Catherine. "Really, what did you guys do?"  
  
The guy smiled. "Wanna come with me and find out?" He asked and snaked his arms around her.   
  
She glanced over his shoulder to see that Warrick was close by watching her. "Why don't you tell me your name first and then we'll see?"  
  
"Corbin."  
  
"Well Corbin, when you say the other day, how long ago did you see them?"  
  
"About four days ago. They came by my place and we had a party."  
  
"Have you seen them since?" Catherine was beginning to feel like this wasn't the guy.  
  
"No, I've been working. I work twelve hour shifts." He looked down at her. "So, you wanna go and have some fun?"  
  
Warrick chose that moment to come to her. "Oh, she wants to have fun, but not with you." He grabbed Catherine's hand and pulled her away from Corbin. The younger guy didn't look happy, but saw the dangerous look in Warrick's eyes, and backed away. Catherine laughed as soon as Corbin left. She turned her focus on Warrick. "Thanks."  
  
"No problem. Did you learn anything?"  
  
She told him about what Corbin had said. He shook his head. "It's seems like Jessica and Sherri were quite the pair. Too bad we can't find Joshua."  
  
Catherine glanced down at her watch. They've been there for two hours. She was exhausted from running everywhere and then dancing. "Where's Sara?"  
  
"Off dancing with some guys."  
  
"I'm beginning to think that Josh isn't here. You think we should try at his house tomorrow?"  
  
"Yeah, that sounds good. I don't think I could stay awake much longer as it is." Catherine grabbed his hand and held it. "Let's find Sara." They began walking along the dance floor searching for her. Yesterday's was more crowded now than it was when they got there. The Donnas song Take it off filled the room. Warrick finally saw Sara dancing and talking with two guys. He squeezed Catherine's hand. "Found her."  
  
They walked over to where she was. Sara was right in the middle of the two men. She was in the middle of a sentence when Warrick walked over. "So you're sure you can't tell me?"  
  
The black guy on her right smiled at her. "Sorry, I can't."  
  
Warrick decided to cut in. He walked up and grabbed Sara by the arm. "We're ready to go."  
  
She smiled at him and told the two other gentlemen bye. Warrick, Catherine, and Sara walked outside the club and headed toward their Tahoe. Sara looked at the other two and saw that they were as tired as she was. At least she was able to take a small nap before they left. "I'll drive." She volunteered and neither Catherine nor Warrick objected. Before Sara got in the interstate both Catherine and Warrick were sound asleep. She drove all the way to the hotel and woke them up. The three made their way back to their rooms. Catherine told them good night and walked in her room. Sara and Warrick slipped quietly inside theirs. Greg was asleep on the cot beside the window. Nick had made room for Sara on the bed. She and Warrick both kicked off their shoes. Sara slipped down in bed beside Nick and curled up next to him. Warrick got in his bed and fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow. In the room beside them, Catherine also got in bed beside Grissom. She glanced over at Lindsey and smiled. Soon sleep took her as well.  
  
  
  
Everyone was awake by nine the next morning. They were all piled in Grissom's room eating breakfast. During breakfast, they each talked about what they did the night before and what they had learned. Grissom's cell phone rang causing the group to quiet down. He grabbed his phone and answered it. "Grissom."  
  
"Mr. Grissom." The voice on the end snarled.  
  
"Governor Hodges."  
  
"I need to speak to you right away."  
  
Grissom knew this wasn't going to be pleasant. "I'll be there shortly." He then hung up the phone. He turned around and observed the frowns the others were giving him. He looked at Catherine. "I think you might need to come with me this time."  
  
She nodded and got up from her chair and threw her paper plate in the trash. Warrick, whom was sitting next to her, glanced over at Grissom. "What about us?"  
  
"Go to Joshua's house. We need to talk to him."  
  
Warrick looked over at Nick and Sara. They were ready to go. Greg leaned back against his chair. "I guess I'm staying here with Lindsey." He stated. He didn't mind staying with her, but he was starting to feel that he was only brought along as a babysitter. Grissom looked at Greg. "Actually, I need you to do something for me."  
  
This got the younger man's attention. "Really? What?"  
  
"We know that Sherri didn't have a family, but she had friends. I need you to go back to Misty's and get a list of all the friends Sherri has. Since she and Jessica hung around together, they will probably have the same friends."  
  
"Cool. I can do that." He glanced over at Lindsey. "Ready to ride?"  
  
Lindsey grinned. "Yep. I'll get your cds." She ran out of the room and went into the one next door. Catherine looked at Greg. "If she comes home singing 'Slap my bitch up' I hunting you down."  
  
Greg gave her his best smile. "Don't worry Cath, that's the song I sing on special occasions."  
  
She shook her head and watched Greg walk out and shut the door. She then turned to look at Grissom. "Let's get this over with."  
  
Grissom only nodded. They both walked with Nick, Sara, and Warrick following in behind.  
  
Grissom and Catherine arrived at the governor's office. They made their way silently to his secretary, who waved at them to go on in. Grissom opened the door for Catherine and they both walked in to find the governor sitting at his desk with a grim expression on his face. He looked at them with what only could be described as disgust. "I do hope you have some news for me Mr. Grissom." He said evenly.  
  
"We're making progress sir."  
  
"What does that mean exactly."  
  
Catherine thought that she should intervene before things became ugly. "Sir, we have a possible suspect. Right now, three of our team are going to talk to him. We tried to find him last night but we weren't able to."  
  
Hodges looked at her. "May I ask who the suspect in question is?"  
  
She glanced over at Grissom. He nodded and answered for her. "Joshua Epps."  
  
Hodges's face turned dark crimson. "I told her to stay away from me. She wouldn't listen to me. No, she and Sherri had to do things their way."  
  
Catherine didn't know what to say to that, so she remained quiet. The governor took a few deep breaths and then asked them how they came up with Josh as a suspect. Grissom explained about the knife and how there had only been two people to buy that knife lately. Hodges nodded and glanced over at Catherine. "I'm giving you forty-eight hours to find my daughter's murderer or you will all lose your jobs. I swear to it."  
  
Catherine was speechless. Grissom had a feeling something like this was coming. He looked over at his friend and noticed the concern and worry on her face. "Come on Cath, we've got work to do." With that spoken, they walked out of the office and headed back toward the rental car.  
  
Nick, Warrick, and Sara pulled the Tahoe in Joshua's driveway. They got out and walked to the front door and rang the bell. Once again Josh's sister answered the door. She took one look at Nick. "You again?"  
  
He smiled at her. "Yeah, is your brother home?"  
  
"Yeah, he's here. Come on in." She opened the door to let them walk through. She couldn't help but check out both men as they walked by her. She was busy looking at them, she didn't notice that Joshua had come down the stairs. "Hey, I'm going out." He told her.  
  
She came to her senses. "Wait, these people are here to see you."  
  
Josh looked at all three of them carefully. "What do you want?"  
  
Nick decided to ask the first question. "Do you know Jessica Hodges and Sherri Preston?"  
  
"Yeah, why?"  
  
Warrick asked the next one. "When was the last time you saw them?"  
  
"A couple of days ago. Why?"  
  
Sara pulled out her I.D. "We're from the crime lab. Jessica and Sherri were murdered."  
  
Joshua didn't seem fazed. "So, why are you talking to me?"  
  
"Do you own a Skinner II?" Nick questioned.  
  
"What's that?" His face began to quiver.  
  
"You should know what it is, since you bought one a few days ago." Warrick informed him.  
  
"I don't have it now." He began to shift from one foot to the other. This motion didn't go unnoticed by the others. Nick just commented on it first. "Why are you so antsy?"   
  
"I dunno?"   
  
"What did you do with the knife?"   
  
"I lost it. I think someone stole it."  
  
Sara gave him a cold look. "I know what you did with it."  
  
Jessica, Sherri, and Josh were on the boat going across the river. Josh spotted the bank far off to the right. "Hey let's check that out." The two women laughed and nodded their heads. The boat landed on the shore and Josh watched as the girls hopped out and got sand on their legs. He quickly pulled the boat up leaving drag marks. They walked along the bank when he got angry. He pulled the knife out and grabbed Jessica by the throat and began to threaten both of them to do as he says. He pressed the knife against her throat causing it to bleed. The blood fell to the sand below. He made them follow the trail and then began to brutally slash them and then hang them.  
  
Josh gave her an evil look. "You can't prove anything. You don't have a murder weapon. Just speculation."  
  
Sara didn't want to admit they didn't have the weapon. "That's what you think. We found your knife. You thought you could hide it so well."  
  
His face caved. "You found it? How? I threw it in the river!"  
  
Sara, Nick, and Warrick grinned. 'Bingo.' They each thought to themselves. Sara grabbed her cell phone and made a phone call the police department. She gave them the address and hung up the phone. Nick and Warrick made sure Josh wasn't going anywhere. Josh looked at Nick and Warrick. "I didn't kill them. I swear."  
  
"It's not looking to good for you right now." Nick told him.  
  
"I'm telling you, I didn't kill them." He looked sincere.   
  
"Then why don't you tell us what happened." Warrick replied. Josh shook his head no. "I want my lawyer first."  
  
"Fine." Nick responded. Soon a cop car came and an officer came out and arrested Josh. His sister remained shocked through the entire questioning. She wouldn't even look at him as he was taken away in handcuffs. Nick, Sara, and Warrick followed the officer out and watched as he put Josh in the backseat of the police car. They got in the rented Tahoe and decided to call Grissom and inform him on what happened.  
  
Greg found Misty's place without trouble. He and Lindsey got out of the car and walked to her door. Lindsey wanted to be the one to knock. They waited for a few seconds until Misty opened the door. She gave them an odd look. "Can I help you?"  
  
"Yes, you can. My name is Greg Sanders and I work with the Vegas Crime lab."  
  
"Oh, you guys again. I thought I told you everything I knew."  
  
"Well, actually we need a bit more help. We need a list of all the friends Sherri has."  
  
Misty laughed. "You're kidding right? Sherri didn't have many friends. She only had the men she slept with."  
  
"I'm gonna need their names."  
  
Misty shook her head. "I don't even know them all. I only know a few."  
  
"That will help."  
  
"Fine, wait here." She walked toward the kitchen and pulled a piece of paper off a post it note. She wrote down three names and handed it to Greg. "That's all the ones I know of, besides me and Jessica."  
  
Greg was about to say thank you, but Lindsey beat him to it. "Thank you for your help." She smiled feeling somewhat helpful.   
  
Misty grinned at her. "You're welcome. Aren't you a little young to working for the crime lab?"  
  
Lindsey laughed. "My mommy works for them. She didn't have a sitter for me so I got to come along. Mr. Grissom told Greg to come here and I got to ride with him." She informed her.  
  
Greg placed a hand on the little girl's shoulder. "Come on Linds, we've got to get this list back."  
  
"Okay. Can I give it to Grissom?"   
  
He nodded and handed her the note. She smiled and told Misty good-bye and the two made their way back toward the rental car.  
  
Grissom was on his way back to the lab when his cell phone rang. "Grissom?"  
  
Warrick's voice was on the other end. "Hey Griss. We found Joshua."  
  
"Good job. Did he confess to anything?"  
  
"Not really, but we now know where the murder weapon is."  
  
"Where?"  
  
"The bottom of the river."  
  
"Great." Came Grissom's sarcastic response. "I guess someone's going to be diving down to get it."  
  
"Already thought about that one. We decided that since Greg said he was a great diver, that he could go."  
  
Grissom thought about it. Normally they didn't let the lab tech gather evidence, but he also knew that Greg had taken an interest in working the field. "Okay, call Greg and met him at the river."  
  
"Will do. By the way, Joshua asked for a lawyer. He is saying that he didn't murder the two women. He also said that he wasn't answering any more of our questions without a lawyer."  
  
"Alright. Catherine and I will go question him and you and the others go get the knife."  
  
"Sure thing. Bye." Grissom hung the phone and relayed the phone call to Catherine. She nodded and looked out the window. Things were beginning to pick up. They had less than forty-eight hours to solve this case. She knew that the governor would carry out his threat. Grissom's cell phone ringing pulled out of her thoughts. "Grissom?"   
  
"Hey Griss. It's Greg."  
  
"I hope you got us a list of names."  
  
"Yep. A whole list of three people."  
  
"That's it?" Grissom couldn't believe it.  
  
"Misty said that's the only names she knew."  
  
"Okay, give them to me."  
  
Greg began to rattle off the names on the note Lindsey was holding up for him. "There's Luther Denton, Freddy Bostwick, and Mason Davis."  
  
"Thanks Greg. Have you talked to Warrick yet?"  
  
"Yeah, he just called me. I guess I'm going diving."  
  
"Have fun."  
  
"Thanks." Grissom hung the phone and glanced over at Catherine. She gave him a smile and reached over and grabbed his right hand. She gave it a squeeze. He updated her on what he just learned from Greg. She nodded. "Good."  
  
They made their way to interrogate Joshua.  
  
Greg and Lindsey met up with the others at the orange gate. Greg had some diving equipment in his hands. "'Bout time you got here." Warrick commented.  
  
"Hey, I did have to go and get this stuff." He replied and glanced at the gear.   
  
"Yeah, excuses." Warrick laughed. Greg just ignored him and they all made their way back toward the river. On their way, they ran into the four cousins. Travis could be heard telling some story about how he and his friend Jesse survived a fall from an airplane. They could hear Kasey and Melissa laughing. They met each other going around a curve. "Hey guys." Drake said.  
  
"Hey, what are you guys doing out here?" Warrick asked.  
  
"Taking a walk." Travis answered. "Don't worry, we didn't go near anything that could mess up your investigation."  
  
Kasey pointed to the gear Greg was carrying. "What's with the diving gear?" She asked him.  
  
"We think the murder weapon was tossed in the river." He answered giving her a smile. "They volunteered me to go get it."  
  
She laughed. "Have fun."  
  
"Thanks." He was about to head on when he stopped and turned to Kasey. "You want to come along. You know and make sure." He pointed over at the rest of his team, "that they don't try to drown me."  
  
"Can we?"   
  
Lindsey ran over to them. "Yeah can they?"  
  
"Sure. Why not?" Nick answered only to have Lindsey scream for joy. She ran over to Kasey and Melissa. They all began to make their way toward the river. They reached the river and Greg slipped on the diver's gear. He looked toward the river. "Okay where do you think the knife would have been thrown?"  
  
Nick glanced around. He knew where the boat had been brought to shore. He also knew that the murderer didn't get rid of the knife until after he got back. He could have thrown the knife in the middle of the river for all he knew. "I guess we don't." He commented aloud. Greg didn't like that answer. He pulled the mask over his face and took one last look at the others. They wished him luck and he made his way in the water. Soon they couldn't see him anymore. Lindsey sat down on the bank beside Kasey and Melissa. Travis and Drake were also sitting down watching for any sign of Greg. Warrick decided to check around on the other side of the bank. He didn't really expect to find anything. He really wanted to enjoy the scenery. Nick and Sara stood side by side on the bank holding hands. She leaned into Nick and tried to enjoy the sun warming her and pretend for just one moment that they weren't here trying to find a knife that was used in a murder. Lindsey grabbed a stick and began writing on the sand. "What else do you guys do around here for fun?"  
  
Travis gave Kasey a look that spelled trouble. She knew exactly what her cousin was thinking. There was no way she was going to inform Lindsey of their paint-ball experience or the mailbox experiences. She decided to play it safe. "Well, we go to movies and the mall. We go to Carowinds in the summer."  
  
The little girl looked at her. "What's Carowinds?"  
  
"An amusement park." Melissa answered. "It has a lot of rides."  
  
"Cool. Can we go?" Lindsey was all for that.  
  
"Sorry Linds. It's an hour an half away."   
  
Drake looked at her. "Plus it's not open today anyway."  
  
"Rats." She looked over at Nick and Sara and smiled. She turned back toward Kasey. "Guess what? Nick and Sara are getting married and I might get to be the flower girl. Only they haven't asked me yet. I'm sure they will though."  
  
"That's cool. I'm sure they will." Kasey told her. She looked over at Melissa and knew that Melissa's chances with Nick were now zero. Melissa could feel her stare and glanced over at her. "What?"  
  
Kasey grinned and shook her head. "Nothing."  
  
"Okay." Melissa said not believing her but she let it drop.  
  
An hour later, Greg came out of the water. "I found it!" He yelled. This got everyone's attention. Nick grabbed his kit and made his way to the bank. Greg got out of the water and handed the weapon to Nick. Nick, who pulled on a pair of gloves, took the knife and inspected it. Warrick came over and glanced at it. "There's no way we're going to be able to pull a print off that." He stated.  
  
"No, but it's a start. This knife is Joshua's. That much we know." This came from Nick.  
  
"We should get back and see if he's changed his story."  
  
They all made their way back toward the trail and the orange gate. Lindsey was busy chatting with her new friends. Nick, Sara, Warrick, and Greg walked ahead of the others. They've been on the trail so many times these past couple days; they knew which way to go. "I still think we're missing something huge." Warrick said. He looked over at the others.  
  
"I agree. I just don't know what." Sara told him. She just wanted to get back and find out what Josh told Grissom. They arrived back at the orange gate and split off in separate ways. Nick, Warrick, and Sara got in the Tahoe. Greg and Lindsey were in the car. The cousins walked toward Travis's house yelling bye as they walked away.  
  
Grissom and Catherine sat down in the interrogation room directly in front of Joshua and his lawyer. Grissom looked at Josh. The guy looked around twenty-five or so. Grissom leaned over the table and glared at Josh. "Why don't you tell us what happened with Jessica and Sherri?"  
  
"I didn't kill them. I swear it." He glanced over at his lawyer, who was a forty-year-old man.   
  
"Mr. Grissom, you have no evidence that Josh committed these murders." The lawyer said.  
  
"We have the knife that Josh bought. That knife was used to slash them." Grissom gave Josh a very cold look. "If you are as innocent as you say you are, tell me what really happened."  
  
"Fine. I admit that I took Jessica and Sherri out there. We had a party on the boat and we saw the bank. We thought we could go and look around. So we landed on shore. We didn't know that someone was there. He came from the woods and started threatening the girls."  
  
"What did you do then?"   
  
"Who was the other man?" Catherine and Grissom asked at the same time. They both waited for a response.  
  
Josh chose to answer Catherine's question first. "I told him to get lost, but he said that he, Jessica, and Sherri had some unfinished business to do. We tried to walk back toward the boat, but he got my knife and grabbed Jess. I couldn't do anything about it. He told me to wait there and then he took the girls in the woods. He came back about ten or fifteen minutes later. The knife had blood all over it. He told me to get in the boat and handed me the knife. I tossed it in the river. He told me if I said anything that he would kill me next."  
  
Grissom could tell that he was lying. There were just to many holes in that story. "Why don't you give me the guys name?"  
  
Josh remained silent. So Grissom tried another tactic. "Okay, if you don't tell me who the other guy was, you will be charged for their murder."  
  
"But I didn't kill them!"  
  
His lawyer became very angry with Grissom. "You have no right to threaten my client."  
  
Grissom gave the lawyer a hard stare. "I'm not threatening him. I'm telling the truth."  
  
Catherine decided to ask another question. "Tell me Josh, do you know Luther Denton, Freddy Bostwick, and Mason Davis?"   
  
"Should I?" He retorted.  
  
"Well, they were all friends with Sherri. I also believe that they liked to hang out at the clubs you go to."  
  
"I know them. Big deal. I know a lot of people."  
  
"We're going to interview them and ask them all kinds of questions about you. Maybe one of them will tell us if you were involved with killing Jessica and Sherri."  
  
Josh looked at his lawyer. "Can they do that?"  
  
"Yes." His lawyer told him simply.  
  
"Fine, go talk to them. They aren't going to tell you nothing. I don't even know them that well."  
  
Grissom stood up and Catherine rose as well. "We have enough evidence to hold you here. We'll be in touch in case we learn something new or if your story changes." With that spoken, he and Catherine walked out of the room. Once outside, Grissom grabbed his cell phone and dialed Nick's number. "Stokes."  
  
"Nick, did Greg find the knife?"  
  
"Yeah, he did. We're at the lab. We know that it's useless to pull off a print since the knife was under water. We are however checking for anything that might still be on it."  
  
"Good. Listen I need you to give me the addresses of Sherri's friends."  
  
"Sure, hold on a minute." Grissom could hear Nick tell Sara to look up the names on the computer that was in front of her. A few moments later, Sara gave the results to Nick, who in turn gave them Grissom. "Good job Nick. I need some of you to go and interview them. Catherine and I will go check out Luther."  
  
"No problem. Warrick, Sara, and I will split up and talk to the other two."  
  
"Alright. Call me as soon as you talk to them."  
  
"What's going on?" Nick wanted to know. Grissom informed him about the interrogation and how Josh said there was someone else there. "Okay, we're on it. Bye Griss."  
  
Grissom hung up the phone and he and Catherine made their way toward Luther's home.  
  
Warrick went to go see Freddy. He easily found the apartment that Freddy lived in. He walked up to the door and knocked. A moment later, a man in his late twenties opened the door. He glanced at Warrick. "Yeah?" He asked unsure of why the black man was at his door. "Freddy Bostwick?"  
  
"That's me. Who are you?"  
  
Warrick pulled out his I.D. and showed him. "I'm Warrick Brown from L.V. crime lab. I'm here helping on a murder case."  
  
"You mean Sherri's and Jessica's murder?"  
  
"Yes. When was the last time you saw either one of them?"  
  
Freddy leaned against his door and rubbed his temples with his hand. Once he pulled his hands down, he glanced at Warrick. "I saw Sherri about four nights ago. She spent the night here. I haven't seen Jessica in about a week."  
  
"Do you know Joshua Epps?"  
  
"I know of him. We haven't been personally introduced. Sherri talked about him some."  
  
"Where were you on the evening they were murdered?"  
  
"At work. You can call my boss if you want to. I worked a double shift cause one of our guys called in sick."  
  
Warrick got his work information and thanked Freddy for his time. He walked back toward the car and dialed Freddy's boss. After talking with him, he learned that Freddy was indeed telling the truth. 'Well, that's one down, two to go.' He thought to himself and got in the car and drove back toward the lab.  
  
Grissom and Catherine pulled into Luther's driveway to find that someone was outside washing their car. Grissom stopped the car and got out. Catherine was soon beside him. "Luther Denton?" Catherine asked.  
  
The man washing his car stopped and grinned at her. "Yes ma'am. That's me. What can I do for you?"  
  
"My name is Catherine Willows and this is Gil Grissom. We're with the crime lab and we need to ask you a few questions."  
  
"Sure." He turned off the hose and set it down on the ground. He grabbed a towel and wiped his hands off. He nodded toward his house. "Would you like to come in? I could get you some tea or coffee."  
  
"We're fine. Thank you Mr. Denton."  
  
"Okay. Ask away."   
  
Grissom was the first to ask. "What was your relationship with Sherri Preston and Jessica Hodges?"  
  
"Well, Sherri and I were friends. Jessica was Sherri's friend, but I didn't know her that well."  
  
"Do you know of anyone who might want to harm them?"  
  
"Are you asking me if I know who murdered them?"  
  
Catherine nodded. "We have someone in custody now who claims he is innocent."  
  
"Look I'm just gonna come right out and say this. Sherri and Jessica were the town sluts. I know that's mean and all, but it's true. They've slept with just about everyone. I know some guys can get really upset when they think that their girlfriend is cheating on them."  
  
"Are you speaking from experience?" Grissom wondered.  
  
"I used to be jealous of the other men that Sherri was with. There was some part in my brain that thought somehow I was different from all the others. I really loved Sherri."  
  
"What changed?" This came from Catherine.  
  
"I accepted the fact that Sherri would never settle down. That she would always mess around." He looked into Catherine's eyes. "I want a family someday. There was no way I would be able to have a family with her."  
  
"So you don't how would have tried to kill them?"  
  
"Sorry, I really don't."  
  
"Where were you the evening that they died?" Grissom asked.   
  
"At my brother's. He and his wife invited me over for supper."  
  
"How long did you stay?"   
  
"I left around eleven that night. I came right home."  
  
Grissom asked for the brother's name and number. Luther happily gave it to him. Grissom quickly called to verify the story. He got off the phone and glanced at Catherine. "His story checks out."  
  
"I just remembered that I had to pick up something for Michelle, my sister-in-law, at the grocery store and I paid with a credit card. If that helps prove my innocence." Luther told them.  
  
Grissom smiled. "Thank you Mr. Denton. We'll let you get back to washing your car." He and Catherine got back in the car and backed out of the driveway. Grissom's cell phone rang and identified the caller as Warrick. Warrick told him that Freddy was clear. Grissom informed him about Luther. After hanging up the phone, he relayed the information to Catherine. "Well, that leaves Mason." She knew that Nick and Sara were probably there now.  
  
Nick and Sara were standing at Mason's door. The door opened to reveal a man in his early thirties. He gave Nick a cold look and turned his focus on Sara. "What can I do for you?" He asked her.  
  
"Well, you could start by answering some questions for us." She replied and showed him her I.D. His grin immediately left his face. "What do you want?"  
  
Nick answered. "How close are you to Sherri Preston and Jessica Hodges?"  
  
"We've gone out before. Why?"  
  
"When was the last time you saw them?"  
  
"The other day." He answered.   
  
Nick noticed the cut along his arm. "What happened?" He asked pointing to it.  
  
"I got into a fight." He simply told them.  
  
"With Joshua Epps?" She asked not knowing why she did.   
  
"Yeah, I did." He turned to her. "So what?"  
  
Nick glanced back at his face. "You might want to have some one look at that for you."  
  
"It's okay."  
  
Sara looked at him. "Mind if I take a closer look?"  
  
Mason grinned. He didn't care if she touched him. He pulled out his arm and showed it to her. Sara walked up and grabbed his underarm to get a better look. "This looks like it was done by a knife." She glanced at Nick. "What do you think?"  
  
Nick stood beside her and took a quick look. "Yeah, looks like it."  
  
"Did Joshua use his knife to cut you?" Sara wanted to know.  
  
"Yeah, he's crazy. We were having a fight and he lunged at me with it."  
  
"Was this fight over Jessica and Sherri?" Nick questioned. He watched as Mason nodded his head. "How did you know?"  
  
"We have Josh in custody. We need you to come down to the police department to make a statement."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"It's procedure." Sara told him. She pulled out her cell phone and dialed the police department. Nick watched her as she walked down the stairs to talk on the phone. He focused his attention back on Mason. He noticed that he wasn't the only one watching Sara. Mason watched every move she made. 'Guess he doesn't care to notice the engagement ring on her finger.' Nick thought to himself. Sara hung up the phone and walked back up the stairs. "An officer will be coming to escort you to the station." She told him. She knew it was in their best interest not to tell him everything. She didn't feel like chasing down a suspect. She was still a little tired from dancing last night. She could feel eyes staring at her, so she turned to look at Nick. He gave her his best grin. Mason exhaled. "I don't see why I need to go down. I'm not pressing charges against Josh. It was a stupid fight. That's all."  
  
Nick shook his head. "You have to go down. You've got a cut from a murder weapon."  
  
They didn't know if it was shock that briefly flashed across Mason's features. Mason tried to go back inside but Nick grabbed his arm. "You need to stay out here."  
  
Mason tried to get his arm out of Nick's grip, but the Texan held it tightly. The police car came up the driveway and the officer got out. He walked up to Mason. "Sir, you need to come with me."  
  
Nick let go of Mason and the officer walked him to the car. Nick and Sara watched as the officer put Mason in the back seat and drove off. Nick pulled out his cell phone and made a quick call to Grissom and exchanged information. Nick hung up and grabbed Sara's hand. "Guess we're going to the station." She smiled and squeezed it. They walked to the car and Nick opened the door for her. She leaned against him and kissed him. Her arms wrapped around his neck. They stayed that way for a few moments. When they pulled apart, she smiled. "I've been wanting to do that all day."  
  
He laughed. "Have you now."  
  
"I'll be glad to go home." She told him truthfully. "I miss our house."  
  
"Me too." He leaned down and kissed her once more and then moved so she could get in the car. He shut the door and got in on the other side. Backing out of the driveway, Nick drove them back toward the police station.  
  
Grissom and his team were now all together waiting to speak to Mason. They were sitting down in the break room of the police station. Greg was holding the plastic evidence bag that contained the knife. Lindsey was seated between her mom and Grissom. She was busy chatting away about helping Greg in the lab. Warrick, Sara, and Nick were sitting on a sofa. There was a coffee table in front of them, and Warrick propped his feet up on it. He glanced over at Grissom. "What's taking so long?"  
  
Grissom looked at Warrick. "We're having to wait for his lawyer. The police officer bringing him told him what was going on."  
  
Sara groaned. "Great."  
  
Grissom smiled at her. "You know how this works. Besides with a lawyer, things will go faster."  
  
Warrick grinned. "Getting bored of North Carolina already?" He asked her.  
  
"It's defiantly not like Vegas."  
  
"She misses her home." Nick told him.  
  
Warrick laughed. "Yeah, I bet that's not all she misses." He glanced over at Nick. Sara could feel her face began to blush. She had to come up with something. "Well, I'm not the only one." She said indicating Warrick, Grissom, and Catherine.  
  
They all laughed except Lindsey who didn't get it. "What's so funny?" She asked her mother. Catherine looked down at her. "Nothing sweetie. We're just picking on Sara. She's homesick."  
  
"Oh." Lindsey glanced over at Sara. "Don't worry Sara, we'll be home soon."  
  
Sara gave her a smile. "Thanks Linds."  
  
"You're welcome." Lindsey scooted back in her chair and watched as an officer approached them. He smiled at her and then focused on Grissom. "Mason's lawyer is here, and they're ready whenever you are."  
  
Grissom stood up. "Thanks." He looked at his team. "Okay, who wants to come with me?" No one seemed to volunteer. "I guess I get to pick." He looked at each person in his team. He finally decided. "Sara, you're with me."  
  
She nodded and got off the couch. "What about the rest of us?" Nick asked.  
  
"You can watch through the two-way."  
  
"Cool. Can I watch too?" Lindsey replied. She got up off the chair and walked toward her mother.   
  
Catherine stopped her. "Sorry sweetie. I don't want you hearing what goes on."  
  
The little girl frowned. Her mother just smiled. "You and Greg can go back to the hotel though. Maybe you guys could find a good movie or something to watch."  
  
Lindsey seemed to like that plan okay. Greg stood up and handed the knife to Sara. "Have fun." He told her and he and Lindsey walked out of the room.   
  
"Let's get this over with." Grissom stated and they went to the interrogation room.  
  
Sara walked in first and Mason looked up. He gave her a big grin. "It must be lucky day." He told her. Grissom came in behind her and Mason's grin turned into a frown. "Guess not."   
  
Grissom sat down in the chair across from Mason, while Sara stood to the right beside Grissom. "Mason, do you like trails?"  
  
"I guess." He answered giving away nothing  
  
"Have you been on one recently?"  
  
"What if I have? There's no law saying you can't walk them."  
  
"You're right. There isn't a law about walking, but there is one about murder."  
  
Mason's lawyer looked at Grissom. Her face showed her distain. "What are getting at Mr. Grissom?"   
  
Sara took the evidence bag and placed it on the table. "Do you recognize this?"  
  
Mason shrugged. Sara stared him right in the eyes. "You should. It was used to cut your arm."  
  
"Yeah, Josh had it." He didn't blink as he stared back into Sara's brown eyes.  
  
"Why don't you tell us about the fight you had?"  
  
"Ask him."  
  
Grissom spoke up. "We did. He told us an incredible story too. He said that you were the one who killed Jessica and Sherri."  
  
"WHAT?" He looked at Sara. "He's kidding right!"   
  
She shook her head no. "Why don't you give us your version of what happened."  
  
"Fine." He pointed to the chair. "You mind sitting down. I don't like having to look up when I'm speaking to someone."  
  
She sat down in the chair and waited for him to continue. "Okay, yes I was at the trails. I heard about the rumors on that road and I wanted to see for myself. I was coming out of the trail along the river when I saw Josh coming on the shore with Jessica and Sherri. They were arguing. I watched as he grabbed Jessica and point the knife to her throat. I jumped into the woods when they started walking my way. I got out and waited for them to come back. I wanted to know what was going on. Josh came back alone. His knife was covered in blood. He saw me and got angry. He wanted to know what I was doing there. I asked him where the girls were. He said they were taken care of. I knew right at that moment they were dead. I took off toward his boat to get help, but he got in too. We started fighting and that's when he cut me in the arm. I knocked the knife out of his hand and he shoved me out of the boat."  
  
His lawyer placed a hand on his shoulder trying to give him some reassurance. Grissom watched as Mason relaxed a little. "Well, that's not what Josh told us. He said that you were the one that killed Jessica and Sherri."  
  
"That's insane. Why would I want to kill them?"  
  
"Why would you? What did they do that pissed you off so much?" Sara asked.   
  
"I have no reason too. That's what I'm saying."  
  
"What did you do after you got shoved out of the boat?"   
  
"I swam back to shore and walked the trail back."  
  
Grissom looked at him. "You said that you came to the river through the trail right?"  
  
"Right."  
  
"Which way did you go?"  
  
Mason gave him a confused look. "What do you mean which way did I go? I went along the trail to the river."  
  
Sara glanced over at Grissom. She knew what he was asking. "Which trail did you take?"  
  
He exhaled deeply. "Look, how many ways do I have to tell you? I walked the trail to the river. There is only one trail."  
  
"Wrong." Grissom stated noticing the way Mason's eyes flared. "There are in fact two trails to the river. One cuts left the other right."  
  
Sara added. "Both trails lead to different parts of the river. So if you took the trail, you would have known that."  
  
"You also would have only had a fifty-fifty chance of taking the path that led to where Josh was."  
  
"You knew all along about Josh taking Sherri and Jessica boating. Misty told you." Sara stated. She looked over at Grissom.  
  
Grissom kept his eyes on the younger man. "Why don't you tell us what really happened and this time tell the truth. It might help your sentence."  
  
"Fine. Okay, you're right. I didn't take the trail to the river. I was looking for Jessica cause she owed me some money. I went over to Misty's and she told me that they took off with Josh on a boat. So I got a boat of my own and followed them down the river. I watched as Josh pulled along the bank. I went to the opposite side of the bank and got off. I climbed the hill and watched as Josh started making out with both girls. I was going to go over to their boat and send it down the river, when I noticed that Josh left his knife in it. He also had some rope."  
  
Mason took the knife and rope out of the boat and quietly snuck up on the trio. He called out to them. "Jessica, where's my money?"  
  
Jessica noticed the knife in his hand. "I don't have it. I promise I will pay you back." Mason walked over to her and pushed Josh away. "Hey man. What's your problem?" Josh asked picking himself off the ground. Mason grabbed Jessica and pulled her against him. "I don't want your money anymore." He told her and pressed the knife into her neck.   
  
He could feel the fear coming off of her. "What do you want?" She cried. He motioned for Sherri. "You're coming with me." He looked over at Josh. "You better stay here until I get back, or I swear the only parts of your body that will be found are the parts the fish don't eat. He grabbed both women by the arms and walked them through the woods. He stopped and began cussing them out. "I know you have my money. One of your boys told me they paid you last night for a few hours of pleasure. Where is it?"  
  
Jessica cried and tried to tell him that she didn't have it. "Look, the only reason you and Sherri are making it is me." He screamed. Sherri took this opportunity to try and run away. Mason grabbed her arm. "Wait, I'm not done yet. You like scary movies don't you Sherri. What was your favorite? Scream wasn't it?" He grinned really big and rotated the knife in his hand. "Let's play." He said. He grabbed her and began to slash into her. Blood began to pool around her and he laughed. He kept slashing and slicing her until she fell unconscious. He turned his focus on Jessica. "Your turn bitch." He grabbed her and began to slice and cut her with the knife. He watched as she fell to her knees. He grabbed the rope that he had wrapped around him and cut it in half. He made a noose on one end and wrapped it around Jessica's throat. He took the other end and threw it up and looped it around a branch. He glanced at Jessica. "Up you go." He pulled the rope down causing Jessica to go up. She began clawing at the rope around her neck. Her struggle soon ended as she hung lifeless in the air. He tied the rope in his hand around the tree. He did the same thing with Sherri. After tying the last rope, he walked back toward the river. He found Josh at the bank pushing Mason's boat away from the bank. "Hey!" Mason ran over and reached for Josh. Josh took that moment to knock Mason down. The knife fell out of Mason's hand and Josh grabbed it. "Don't come near me." He told Mason.  
  
"You don't have the guts"   
  
Without thinking, Josh cut Mason's arm. Mason laughed. "Good, now you're fingerprints are on the knife. They'll think you killed Jessica and Sherri." Mason ran toward the river and jumped in and got on his boat.   
  
Grissom continued the story. "So Josh got freaked out and threw the knife in the river, hoping no one would find it."  
  
Mason leaned back in his chair. Grissom turned to the officer in the room and had Mason arrested. Then he and Sara walked out. Catherine stood beside Grissom. "Glad that's over with."  
  
"Me too." He told her. They began to make their way out of the police station when the governor pulled up. He got out of the car and walked toward Grissom. For the first time, Grissom's seen him, the governor smiled. "I just received a phone call that you caught my daughter's murderer."  
  
"Yes we did."  
  
"Thank Mr. Grissom." He extended his hand out and Grissom shook it. "I would like to say sorry for the pressure I put you under. I just wanted peace that my daughter's killer was caught."  
  
"You're forgiven." Grissom gave him a smile and his team made their way toward their vehicles. They made their way back to the hotel. Greg and Lindsey were watching television when they walked in. "Mommy." She got up and hugged Catherine. "Hey honey. Did you have fun with Greg?"  
  
"Yeah, but I'm hungry and Greg said something about going out to eat tonight."  
  
She smiled. "That sounds like a good idea."  
  
"Did you get the case solved?" Greg asked.  
  
"Yeah. We're going home tomorrow." Grissom told him.  
  
"Can we go say good-bye to Kasey and the others?" Lindsey asked.   
  
Catherine looked at the rest of them. "I guess we could. We should probably thank them again for their help."  
  
"Maybe they know a good restaurant too." Greg commented.  
  
"Cool. They could go with us." Lindsey grabbed Catherine's hand and basically dragged her out of the room. The others laughed and followed behind them.  
  
They pulled their cars in Melissa's grass. Lindsey ran to the door and knocked on it. A few moments later, Melissa came to the door. "Hey Lindsey, what's going on?"  
  
"We came to see you and the others. Where are they?"  
  
"Travis and Drake are at home and Kasey is over at Gammy's."  
  
"Who's Gammy?"  
  
"Kasey's grandma. I'll give them a call and have them come over." She invited the others to come in and have a seat in the living room. Melissa picked up the phone and called Kasey. "Hello?" Kasey answered.  
  
"Hey. Lindsey is here with the rest of the gang. They want to see you."  
  
"Cool. I'm on my way."  
  
"Later mon ami." Melissa said smiling at the confused looked the others were giving her.  
  
"Bye. See you soon mon ami." Kasey said and hung up the phone.  
  
She then called down at Travis's house. Travis answered the phone. "Hello?"  
  
"Hey Travis, what are you doing?"  
  
"Watching Drake play a video game."  
  
"Cool. Listen Lindsey and the others are here and they want to see you and Drake. So come on up."  
  
"Alright." Travis and Melissa hung the phone up at the same time. Lindsey grabbed the remote control and turned the television on. "What channel is MTV 2 on?" She asked Melissa.  
  
Catherine shook her head no. "No music videos Lindsey."  
  
"Rats." Lindsey looked over at Greg and noticed he had a sad face too. She laughed. Travis and Drake walked to the door and came in. "Hey." Travis greeted them. Everyone responded back. They all were talking about different things when Kasey's car pulled up behind one of the rented ones. She walked in the house and was instantly hugged by Lindsey. "Hey mon ami!" She said trying out what she had heard Melissa call her on the phone.  
  
Kasey laughed. "Hey girly. What's up?"  
  
"Not much."  
  
Grissom took that moment to tell them why they were there. "We just wanted to say thank you for all your help."  
  
"No problem." Travis said.   
  
"Glad to do it." Kasey responded.  
  
Greg looked at Kasey. "We also wanted to know if you knew of a good restaurant to eat at was."  
  
Kasey exchanged looks with her cousins and all four responded "Fatz."  
  
"Fatz? I've never heard of it." Catherine said.  
  
"It's so good." Melissa told her.  
  
"Do they have anything vegetarian?" Nick asked and pointed to Sara. "She doesn't eat meat."  
  
Warrick laughed. "And she's engaged to a Texan. Can you believe that?"  
  
Kasey and Melissa smiled. "Yeah, they have meatless items there." Melissa told her.  
  
Grissom looked at his team. "Okay, we'll follow you." He told the cousins.  
  
"You mean you want us to come along?" Drake asked.  
  
"Yes, and it's on us. A thank you for your help."  
  
"Cool. Thanks." They replied. They got up and headed out the door. "Some needs to call ahead and make a reservation for us." Melissa told them.  
  
"Give me the number and I'll do it." Warrick offered. Melissa gave it to him and he pulled out his cell phone and made the reservation.  
  
Melissa, Kasey, Travis, and Drake got into Melissa's car and waited for others to pile in the two cars. Once she saw that they were ready, she pulled out of her driveway and they made there way to Fatz.  
  
They arrived at Fatz twenty minutes later. Lindsey ran over to Kasey and stood beside her. Grissom and Catherine got out of the Tahoe and walked to meet Kasey and the others at the entrance. Warrick, Sara, Nick, and Greg came up behind them. The hostess smiled at them and Warrick told her they had a reservation. "Right this way please." She said and led them to two booths toward the back. "Okay, I know everyone wants my company, but who is sitting with who?" Greg asked.  
  
"I'll sit with you Greg." Lindsey said.   
  
"Thanks Lindsey." Greg got in one of the booths and Lindsey got in on the other side. "Kasey, sit with us." She said. Kasey grinned. "Okay." She got in beside Lindsey and Catherine knew she needed to sit with her daughter as well. She sat down beside Greg. Grissom who didn't want to be separated from Catherine sat down beside her. Travis sat down beside Kasey. In the other booth, Warrick, Nick, and Sara sat down on one end while Melissa and Drake sat in the other.   
  
Their waitress came and went to Grissom's table first. "Hey guys, my name is Rachel and I'll be your server. Are these two tables together?"  
  
"Yes, they are." Grissom replied.  
  
"Okay. What would you like to drink?"  
  
Everyone told her what they wanted and she went to get the drink orders at Warrick's table. She left and came back in a few minutes with the drinks. She handed each table a basket of poppy seed rolls and each a plate. "These are the best rolls." Travis said grabbing one first. Rachel smiled and asked if they were ready to order. "We need a few more minutes." Grissom told her. She smiled and walked off.  
  
They all looked at the menu. "What's good here?" Catherine asked.  
  
"Just about everything?" Kasey replied.  
  
  
  
At the other table, they were also discussing what was good. Warrick took the first bite of his roll. "Oh man, this is good." He said.  
  
Nick and Sara both took a bite out of theirs. "That is good." Nick commented. Melissa and Drake just smiled. Neither of them had their menus open. "Do you know what you want already?" Warrick asked.  
  
"Yeah, I get the same every time I come." Melissa told him.   
  
"Me too." Drake replied.  
  
Nick wanted to know what they got. "Well I get the calabash chicken wrap." Melissa told him.  
  
"I get the baby back ribs." Drake said.  
  
"Now that sounds good." Warrick replied. "I think I'm gonna get what you're getting Drake."  
  
"HEY! THAT'S MY ROLL!" Came a shout from the other table. Melissa and Drake started laughing.  
  
Nick tried to turn around to see what was happening at the next table. He couldn't so he asked.   
  
"Travis tried to steal Lindsey's roll." Catherine asked.  
  
Travis put on a look of pure innocence. "No I didn't. Greg did."  
  
Greg looked at him. "What did I do?"  
  
Rachel came back and asked if they were ready to order. They were. Travis decided for his table that they needed cheese fries for an appetizer. He then ordered some pasta with chicken. Kasey ordered the calabash chicken. Lindsey ordered a cheeseburger. Greg also got the cheeseburger. Catherine ordered the calabash chicken wrap and Grissom decided that the calabash chicken sounded good as well. Rachel went to Warrick's table and took their order. Warrick and Drake both got the baby back ribs. Nick got the sampler, which had chicken, shrimp, and ribs on it. Melissa, as always, got the calabash chicken wrap. Sara got the soup and salad. Nick ordered them some mozzarella sticks as an appetizer. Rachel smiled and walked away.  
  
While they waited, they snacked on rolls and talked. Greg was busy asking questions about where Kasey and Travis went to school. "Hey Kasey, do you want to switch e-mails and IM's?"  
  
"Sure." Kasey reached in her purse and pulled out some paper and a pen. She wrote down her e-mail address and her instant message name. She handed the paper to Greg. He smiled and gave her his information. She wrote it down and placed in her purse. "Thanks." She said.  
  
"No problem. Say maybe you can come to Vegas and visit us."  
  
"That would be awesome." She replied.  
  
Lindsey liked that idea too. "Cool, you could spend the night at my house."  
  
Rachel came out with the cheese fries and set them down on the table. "Enjoy." She handed the mozzarella sticks to the others. Travis grabbed his fork and dug right into his fries setting them one the table. The fry smell made it's way over to Nick's table. "That smells good." Nick told them. Warrick looked over and saw the huge plate of fries. "Hey guys, you have to share those fries." He told them. Warrick grabbed his plate and fork. He got up and stood at Grissom's table. He took his fork and got some of them out. Travis was very tempted to slap his hand away. He was about to do it, when he remembered who was paying for the food. Warrick got enough to share with the others.  
  
"Man, these are good." Warrick said. Nick took a few and handed some to Sara. He made sure there was no bacon near hers. Catherine turned around as best she could. "Hey, hand a mozzarella stick here."   
  
Sara reached for one and gave it to her. "Thanks Sara." Catherine looked at Lindsey. "You want some?"  
  
Lindsey nodded. Catherine pulled some of it apart and gave her a small piece. She shoved the whole thing in her mouth. Catherine had to remind her to chew. Catherine broke a small piece for Grissom and Greg. Then she ate what was left. Soon their food came out. Catherine couldn't believe how much food it actually was. "No wonder they call it Fatz. That's how you'll be when you leave."  
  
The rest laughed. They all enjoyed their meal and ended up having to get a bunch of to go boxes. Rachel came back with the check and handed it to Grissom. Grissom looked at the total. It wasn't bad considered how much food they ate. He told Nick, Sara, and Warrick how much they owed. Nick and Warrick pulled out their wallets. Nick looked over at Sara. "Do you have a twenty?"  
  
She nodded and reached in her purse and dug around until she found one. "Here." She handed him the bill. "Thanks."  
  
Nick handed the money to Warrick. "Give that to Grissom." Warrick put his money with Nick's and Sara's. "Okay." He got up and gave his boss the money. Grissom took it and thanked him. Once the food was paid for they got up and walked outside. They were in the parking lot beside their cars. Grissom was the first to tell them good-bye. "Thanks again for everything." He shook hands with them and got in the car. Catherine was next. "Bye guys. Thanks for keeping an eye on my daughter." She gave them all a hug. Lindsey went after Catherine. "Bye. I'm going to miss you." She hugged them all and told them to e-mail her. It was Warrick's turn. He gave them his good-byes and shook their hands. He got in the other car. Sara smiled and thanked them. She gave them a hug as well. Nick grinned and watched as Sara got in the car. He then looked at the cousins. "Thanks again guys. We would have never made it through those woods without your help." He shook Travis and Drake's hands and gave Kasey and Melissa a hug. Greg was the last one to say good-bye. He shook hands with Travis and Drake and gave Melissa a hug. He went to Kasey last. "Don't forget to write me." He told her.  
  
"I won't." He gave her a hug and kissed her on the cheek. He smiled and waved bye. Then got in the car. The four cousins watched as the cars made their way out of the parking lot. "I call front seat." Travis yelled and went to the car. "You had it on the way down." Drake yelled back.  
  
The CSIs arrived back at their hotel. It was getting pretty late, so they decided to just chill in their separate rooms. Grissom and Catherine were sitting next to each other on the bed holding hands. Lindsey had the television on. She was trying to find something to watch. "Hey Linds. Why don't you turn the tv off for a minute and come sit with us?" Grissom told her.  
  
"Okay." She pressed the off button on the remote and set it down on the table. She got off the bed and jumped on to theirs. She crawled up beside her mom. Catherine put her arm around her. Both looked at Grissom. He smiled thinking of just how much he loved both of them. "Lindsey, your mom and I were talking earlier about taking a vacation. How would you like to go to the beach?"  
  
Lindsey's face lit up brightly. "Seriously? I would love to!"  
  
He grinned. "Good, because we are leaving as soon as you get out of school."  
  
She left her mother and gave him a hug. "Thank you. You're the best."  
  
Catherine looked at Grissom. "You're serious aren't you?"  
  
"Very. I told you I would take you to beach." He leaned over and kissed her briefly on the lips trapping Lindsey between them. "Um, guys, I'm squished." She said. They pulled apart and laughed. "Well I guess we'll have to do something about that." Catherine told her and began tickling Lindsey. She started laughing. Grissom decided that he needed to help with the tickle torture. The little girl began laughing even more. "Stop it! Please!" She was laughing so hard she had tears running down her eyes. Soon they heard a knock on the door and Warrick's voice asking if everything was all right. Grissom got up off the bed and opened the door. "Sorry, we were tickling Lindsey."  
  
"That's okay. We just wondered what was happening."   
  
Lindsey hopped off the bed and ran to Warrick. "Thank goodness you're here. I don't think I could have lasted much longer."  
  
Warrick laughed. "You wanna come next door and give your mom and Grissom some private time?"  
  
"Okay." She looked at her mom. "You can start planning our trip."  
  
"Don't stay gone too long sweetie. We've got a plane to catch tomorrow."  
  
"I know." She waved bye and shut the door. Catherine turned to Grissom. "So, about our trip?"  
  
Grissom took her and pulled her to the bed. He gently laid her down and began kissing her neck and made his way to her lips. "We'll talk later." He said breathlessly and began kissing her more.  
  
In Warrick's room, they were popping popcorn and watching a movie. Nick and Sara were in one bed. Warrick and Lindsey were in the other. Greg grabbed a chair and propped it between both beds. The microwave began beeping signaling that the popcorn was ready. No one seemed to move from his or her spot. Sara decided if she were going to get any, she would have to get up. As soon as she was up, the demands for drinks started coming. "Hey Sara, could you bring me a coke." This was from Greg. "Can I have on too Sara?" Lindsey called. Sara shook her head. 'I knew I should have just stayed in bed.' She thought. She grabbed the drinks out of the small cooler and began passing them out. "Thanks." They told her. She grabbed a few plates and handed those out as well. She handed Nick the popcorn. He began pouring himself and Sara some. He then passed it on to the others. They were all settled and returned to watching the movie. After going through two bags of popcorn, the movie was over. Lindsey got up off the bed and told them goodnight. She slipped out of the room and went to the other one. Greg got out of his chair and got in his cot. "Goodnight guys." He said. "Night." They replied back. Soon they all began to drift off to sleep.  
  
The next morning was a busy one. They all had their things packed and ready to go. Sara and Warrick went to the hotel office to return the keys and sign out. After that was done, they returned the rental cars and walked in to the airport. Their plane was supposed to arrive at ten. Soon, they were back on the plane flying home. "Man, it's gonna take me awhile to get used to the time change." Warrick commented.  
  
"No kidding, I tried to stay on Vegas time for a while, but I just gave up." Nick told him.  
  
Grissom looked at his team. "So what did you think of North Carolina?"  
  
"I liked it. The area we were at was really nice." Catherine mentioned.   
  
"I thought it was a bit too quiet." Greg told them. "I mean, I'm sure if we would have stayed longer and didn't have to worry about a case, then we would have found more excitement."   
  
Nick laughed. "Yeah, but I loved the woods. Those trails were awesome. I could walk them everyday."  
  
"That was pretty cool." Warrick said. "I really liked the people that we meet. Most of them seemed pretty nice."  
  
Sara nodded. "Yeah, we a few that were hard to get along with. I liked it, but I'm not sure if I would want to live there."  
  
"Why's that?" Nick asked her.  
  
"I guess it's because I'm so used to a big city."  
  
Lindsey grinned. "I loved it. Kasey and the others took me on some trails and we listened to music. Plus I love Fatz! I wish we had one at home."  
  
"Yeah, I agree. I would weigh close to three hundred pounds if I lived where they do." Warrick admitted.  
  
"Me too." Nick said. "Man. I thought I would die when I saw how much food they gave us."  
  
Lindsey looked at Nick. "I brought some of my cheeseburger back. I couldn't finish it."  
  
"I know. I finished my food for breakfast this morning."   
  
"Same here." Warrick said. In fact almost all them ate their leftovers this morning for breakfast. "What did you like best about North Carolina Grissom?"  
  
Grissom thought about that for a moment. "I think I liked the fact that we all got to go together. We went down and did our job. We proved why our lab is one of the best."  
  
"Amen to that." Catherine said and grinned at him. The rest of the ride became quiet as most of them looked out the window. Catherine broke the silence. "I will be glad to have my home back though."  
  
"So will I." Sara told her.   
  
"What's this we hear about a vacation, Grissom?" Nick asked.  
  
"I'm taking Catherine and Lindsey to the beach as soon as school lets out." He answered.  
  
"Is that before or after Sara and Nick are married?" Warrick wondered.  
  
"Hey, we don't even know the date yet." Nick told him.  
  
"Have you even started making arrangements?" Catherine asked.  
  
Sara nodded. "Yeah, we've decided that it's going to be indoors and it will be a church wedding."  
  
"And?"  
  
"And we've finally decided who will be in our wedding." She looked at Catherine. "If you don't mind, I would love to have you as my maid of honor."  
  
"I would love that." Catherine told her. She got up out of her seat and hugged the other woman.   
  
"Lindsey, we want you to be our flower girl."   
  
"Yay!" She ran to Sara and hugged her. "Do I get to pick the dress I want to wear?"  
  
"Of course."  
  
"Sweet."  
  
Nick looked over at Warrick. "I was hoping you would be the best man."  
  
Warrick grinned. "No problem."  
  
Nick glanced over at Greg. "I want you to stand up there to Greg." Greg grinned. "You got it Nick."  
  
Sara looked at Grissom. "Grissom, I need to ask you something, and I don't know how you feel about it."  
  
He gave her a concerned look. "Okay."  
  
She looked down at the floor unsure of how to start. Finally she focused on him. "You know that I don't really have the best relationship with my family and that I hardly speak to them at all."  
  
He waited for her to continue. She gave a brief smile and a small tear fell down her cheek. He watched as Nick held her hand giving her the strength to continue. "I was wanting to ask you, well, you've been like a father to me for so long. I would like for you to be the one to give me away."  
  
Grissom was speechless. He knew that he and Sara had a special connection, but he had no idea how deep that connection was to Sara. He smiled. "Sara, I would be honored." She let go of Nick's hand and went to Grissom and gave him a hug. Grissom held her tightly and rubbed her back. He knew she was trying to keep from crying again. She slowly pulled away and grinned. "Thank you." She told him.  
  
"No Sara, thank you." He watched as she went to sit down beside Nick. Nick placed an arm around her shoulder and pulled her close. The rest of the plane ride was spent with them giving Nick and Sara ideas for the wedding.  
  
They were now back in Vegas and walked out of the airport. They made their way to the airport parking lot and soon all seven were off toward their homes. Catherine walked into her house with Lindsey right behind her. She went into her bedroom and sat her luggage down. Lindsey did the same. Catherine glanced at the clock it was now around one Vegas time. She decided to fix something for lunch before she went to bed. "Hey Lindsey, what do you want to eat?"  
  
"I want a grilled cheese."  
  
'Thank God.' Catherine thought. She really didn't feel like fixing something big. "I'll have it ready in a few minutes." She walked to her kitchen and began gathering the stuff. Lindsey came in and hopped up on the barstool near the counter. "Mommy."  
  
"What sweetie?"  
  
"Will I ever get to see Kasey again?"  
  
"I don't know. Maybe." She glanced over at her daughter and smiled. "Tell you what. Why don't you get on the computer and look up some beaches. We need to decide which one we're going to."  
  
"Okay!" Lindsey jumped down and ran toward the computer quickly logging on. Catherine smiled and continued to make the sandwiches.  
  
Warrick opened the door to his apartment and knew something was wrong. He could smell food coming out of the kitchen. He walked quietly in the kitchen to find that his girlfriend was cooking for him. "I thought I smelled something wonderful." He said.  
  
Jasmine turned around. "Warrick." She ran over to him and gave him a fast hug and then pulled his face to hers. She kissed him, letting her hands travel around his neck. After a few passionate moments, they pulled apart. "So did you miss me?" She asked.  
  
"Yeah, I did. Did you miss me?"  
  
She gave his a sly grin. "Maybe."  
  
"Oh so we're playing that game, are we?" He reached his arms around her waist and pulled her in closer. He began a trail of kisses along her neck. She smiled. "Okay, I admit it. I missed you."  
  
"Good." He gently pulled away from her and glanced at the food on the stove. "What are you fixing?"   
  
"Oh, nothing special." He walked over and lifted the lid off one of the pots. Inside were noodles. "Spaghetti." He gave her a smile.  
  
"Yeah, well I knew you were coming home and I wanted to fix something easy."  
  
"I'm glad you did." Warrick and Jasmine worked together in the kitchen and finished making lunch. They sat down at the table and had a nice romantic meal together.  
  
Nick and Sara walked into their home and dropped the bags right beside the front door. Sara was so glad to be at home. Nick came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her. "So, what should we do now?"  
  
"I can think of a few things." She said while she wrapped her arms around his. Nick leaned down and kissed her shoulder. "I'll take our luggage to the bedroom." He pulled away from her and picked the bags up off the floor. She watched as he disappeared into the hall. Sara decided that she needed some lunch. She was in the kitchen and looked in the fridge. It looked pretty empty. They didn't buy any groceries because they didn't know how long they would be gone. She decided that she would just order some take out. She walked in the bedroom to ask Nick. He was laying on the bed relaxing. "You wanna order some take out instead of cooking?" She asked him.  
  
"Are you going to have them deliver it?"  
  
"I guess, unless you want me to go get it."  
  
Nick leaned up and sat back against the headboard. "Come here." He told her and she gladly went. He opened his arms and she fell back into them. "Right now, I just want to relax with my beautiful fiancée. Is that okay?"  
  
"That's more than okay." She told him. They laid like that until they both fell asleep in each others arms.  
  
Grissom arrived at work later that night. He felt rested considered he went to bed as soon as he got home. He was in his office checking to see if he had any messages or anything. Brass walked in and smiled. "Good you're back. We've got a busy night tonight."   
  
"What's going on?"  
  
"A triple homicide. I need you and your team down there immediately."  
  
Grissom stood up and nodded. "We're on it." He walked out of the office leaving Brass alone. Brass shook his head and smiled. "Welcome home." He said and walked out of Grissom's office.  
  
~~Finished~~ 


End file.
